IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Herpes simplex encephalitis

Case contributed by Ahmed Abdrabou
Diagnosis probable

Presentation

Fever and convulsions of 1 week duration

Patient Data

Age: 7 months
Gender: Male
mri

Multifocal cortical and subcortical hemorrhagic patches in early subacute stage displaying high T1 and low T2 signal with restricted diffusion in DWI. The largest lesion involves the right temporal lobe. Involutional brain changes are noted. MRV is unremarkable. 

Case Discussion

Herpes simplex virus causes hemorrhagic encephalitis. Its usually affect the medial temporal lobe however its pattern in children and infant is atypical as it becomes multifocal involving any cerebral area sparing the basal ganglia.Other differential diagnosis includes hemorrhagic infarction, post ictal changes and neoplastic lesion. 

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.