tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Eur J Case Rep Intern Med
. 2021 Feb 24;8(3):002336.
doi: 10.12890/2021_002336. eCollection 2021.
A Seasonal Cause of Encephalitis: Influenza Virus A (H3N1) Infection
R?ben Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francisco Adrag?o[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Catarina Parente[SUP] 1 [/SUP], In?s Nunes[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Armindo Ramos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], In?s Nabais[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Isa Silva[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Influenza virus infection can have a range of presentations, from asymptomatic to life-threatening disease. We present the case of a 57-year-old woman with a known history of schizophrenia (controlled with medication) who presented to our emergency department in a coma after experiencing a seizure. She had reported flu-like symptoms in the previous week, which evolved to dyspnoea and altered mental status culminating in seizures and coma. Influenza virus A (H3N1) was identified in the cerebrospinal fluid. Although a rare cause of encephalitis, the influenza virus should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially during epidemics.
Learning points: Influenza virus encephalitis should be considered in some specific settings, such as during pandemics or seasonal epidemics.Altered mental status in a patient with a history of mental disease may be easily dismissed as secondary to prior disease or medication.Although rare, extrapulmonary manifestations of influenza virus infection can be serious and fatal.
Keywords: Influenza A (H3N1); encephalitis; influenza-associated encephalopathy.
. 2021 Feb 24;8(3):002336.
doi: 10.12890/2021_002336. eCollection 2021.
A Seasonal Cause of Encephalitis: Influenza Virus A (H3N1) Infection
R?ben Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Francisco Adrag?o[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Catarina Parente[SUP] 1 [/SUP], In?s Nunes[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Armindo Ramos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], In?s Nabais[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Isa Silva[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33768079
- PMCID: PMC7977056
- DOI: 10.12890/2021_002336
Abstract
Influenza virus infection can have a range of presentations, from asymptomatic to life-threatening disease. We present the case of a 57-year-old woman with a known history of schizophrenia (controlled with medication) who presented to our emergency department in a coma after experiencing a seizure. She had reported flu-like symptoms in the previous week, which evolved to dyspnoea and altered mental status culminating in seizures and coma. Influenza virus A (H3N1) was identified in the cerebrospinal fluid. Although a rare cause of encephalitis, the influenza virus should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially during epidemics.
Learning points: Influenza virus encephalitis should be considered in some specific settings, such as during pandemics or seasonal epidemics.Altered mental status in a patient with a history of mental disease may be easily dismissed as secondary to prior disease or medication.Although rare, extrapulmonary manifestations of influenza virus infection can be serious and fatal.
Keywords: Influenza A (H3N1); encephalitis; influenza-associated encephalopathy.