Abstract :
Aim: We aimed to study the clinical profile and etiology of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in a tertiary care centre of western India.
Materials and Methods: All patients evaluated by the neurology department, who fulfilled the standardised case definition for encephalitis (given by International Encephalitis Consortium) over 2 year period were screened. Routine laboratory investigations, CSF, Neuroimaging and EEG were done in all patients. Short term follow-up of one month was done to see the outcome.
Results : Out of total 85 patients of AES seen over two years; viral etiology was identified in 26 (30.5%) patients; 8 (9.4%) patients had autoimmune cause and in 53 (62.4%) patients, no specific ethology could be found. Long duration of symptom onset to hospitalisation, seizures, abnormal behaviour, involuntary movements (automatism, dyskinesia, or dystonia), and autonomic dysfunction favours a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis. At one month, good outcome (mRS 2), out of which 29(34.1%) patients expired.
Conclusion: Viral encephalitis was the commonest cause of AES; followed by autoimmune encephalitis. Specific cause could not be ascertained in large number of patients, even after extensive evaluation. AES patients had prolonged hospital stay and significant morbidity and mortality.
Keyword :
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), Viral Encephalitis, Autoimmune encephalitis