ArticleCase reports in neurology2011
Herpes simplex encephalitis with two false-negative cerebrospinal fluid PCR tests and review of negative PCR results in the clinical setting.
Article in Case reports in neurology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unraveling Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis: Diagnosis and Management.Annals of African medicine · 2026Article
- Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis in Vietnam: a retrospective study.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- LC-MS metabolomics and lipidomics in cerebrospinal fluid from viral and bacterial CNS infections: a review.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Review
- Rapid-Onset Temporal Encephalitis With Negative Cerebrospinal Fluid Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing.Cureus · 2023Article
- An Enigmatic Case of a Febrile Infant With Seizures.Cureus · 2022Article
- Article
- Twice Negative PCR in a Patient With Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) Encephalitis.The Neurohospitalist · 2021Article
- Relapse of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis by Epilepsy Surgery 35 Years after the First Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review.NMC case report journal · 2021Article
- Fatal PCR-negative herpes simplex virus-1 encephalitis with GABANeurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2019Article
- HSV-Encephalitis Reactivation after Cervical Spine Surgery.Case reports in surgery · 2019Article
- Coexisting infectious diseases on admission as a risk factor for mechanical ventilation in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.Journal of epidemiology · 2017Article
- Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: an Update.Current infectious disease reports · 2017Review
- CSF in acute and chronic infectious diseases.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2017Review
- Herpes simplex encephalitis: unusual imaging appearances.BMJ case reports · 2016Article
- Post-malaria neurological syndrome or viral encephalitis?BMJ case reports · 2016Article
- An unusual presentation of herpes simplex encephalitis with negative PCR.BMJ case reports · 2015Article
- Concurrent meningococcal and herpes simplex infection in a non-immunocompromised child.BMJ case reports · 2014Article
- Herpes simplex encephalitis: clinical presentation, neurological sequelae and new prognostic factors. Ten years of experience.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2013Article
- Pitfalls associated with the diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis.Journal of neurosciences in rural practice · 2013Article
- Viral encephalitis and atherothrombotic stroke.BMJ case reports · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionHerpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) is an acute infection accompanied by significant morbidity and mortality with the diagnosis often made by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a healthy 35-year-old woman presenting with altered mental status. Due to suspicion of herpes encephalitis, a CSF PCR for herpes virus was sent for examination and acyclovir was started. The patient had an immediate response to acyclovir; however, when the PCR returned negative she was discharged without therapy. The altered mental status returned and she was started on acyclovir therapy and a second CSF PCR sample was sent and was again negative. MRI performed at initial hospitalization was negative, but a repeat MRI demonstrated bilateral temporal lobe involvement suggestive of herpes encephalitis. The patient was successfully treated for 21 days with acyclovir.
conclusionCSF PCR for herpes virus is highly sensitive and specific and remains the standard for diagnosing herpes encephalitis. Clinicians should be aware of the pitfalls of CSF PCR testing, specifically false-negative results. Although rare, these false negatives can result in premature termination of treatment.
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