Steroids for deteriorating herpes simplex virus encephalitis.
A 16-month-old girl presented with herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis with involvement of bilateral parietofrontal lobes, left thalamus and cerebellum. She was treated with intravenous acyclovir. As her condition deteriorated, high-dose methylprednisolone was administered, resulting in remarkable improvement. This case suggests considering a short course of high-dose steroid therapy in severe herpes simplex encephalitis when there is clinical and radiologic deterioration in spite of appropriate antiviral therapy and decreasing viral load in the cerebrospinal fluid.
Musallam
Banan
B
Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Matoth
Israel
I
Wolf
Dana G
DG
Engelhard
Dan
D
Averbuch
Diana
D
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000212:Acyclovir; D008775:Methylprednisolone