title: Infectious causes of rapidly progressive dementia.
abstract: Infections represent an uncommon but important to recognize cause of rapidly progressive dementia, as diagnosis and treatment may produce a favorable outcome in selected instances. This article reviews infectious causes of rapidly progressive dementia, including selected viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and prion diseases. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, laboratory diagnosis, and treatment options are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. smmcginnis@partners.org
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McGinnis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D003704:Dementia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans