title: The Clinical Approach to Encephalitis.
abstract: Encephalitis has various etiologies, but viral infections and autoimmune disorders are the most commonly identified. Clinical signs, geographical clues, and diagnostic testing-including cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities and magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities-can be helpful in identifying the cause. Certain forms of encephalitis have specific treatments; hence, establishing a diagnosis rapidly and accurately is crucial. Here, we describe the clinical approach to diagnosing several common etiologies of encephalitis as well as treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Wang ACC 835, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.|Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Piquet
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Wang ACC 835, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. tcho@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: Arbovirus; Autoimmune; Encephalitis; Herpes; Paraneoplastic; Viral