Viral meningitis

Viral meningitis

    * Introduction
    * Diagnostic Laboratory
    * Treatment
Viral meningitis is a disease caused by a number of viruses that occurs in the meninges, and subsequently may even spread the substance inside the brain causing encephalitis. Evolving disease with fever, headache and meningeal irritation, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The clinical picture of disease is far more removed than bacterial meningitis, as there are those signs of severity. Symptoms often accompanying exhibit minimal, can aggravate a medical diagnosis especially for the inexperienced. If viral infection occurs in the spinal cord infection called myelitis. There is an increased incidence of viral infections meningiene during summer, reflecting seasonal prevalence of infections with enteroviruses and arboviruses. The most important test for the diagnosis of meningitis is examination of cerebrospinal fluid. Viral meningitis is a very good prognosis, there was no neurological sequelae or persistent headache after healing as occurs in bacterial meningitis. Often patients do not need hospitalization, treatment is largely symptomatic.
Viruses most often incriminated in producing meningitis are enteroviruses, arboviruses, virulul HIV, Herpes simplex virus type 2. enteroviruses are the most important cause of viral meningitis. There are other viruses responsible for the onset of meningitis, but with lower frequency, such as Herpes simplex virus type 1 virus and mumps virus meningitis coriolimfocitare. Other etiologic agents of viral meningitis are occasionally involved adenovirusurile, A and B influenza virus, rubella virus, measles, paragripal virus, varicella-zoster virus and Epstein-Barr citomegaliei. At least two thirds of viral meningitis caused by enteroviruses. Mumps virus should be considered when meningitis occurs in winter or early spring, especially in males. Late autumn or winter meningitis in association with a history of contact with house mice or their droppings suggests the virus infection coriolimfocitare meningitis. In this case meet these patients in addition to meningitis and other accompanying diseases as skin rash, pulmonary infiltrates, mumps, alopecia, or miopericardita orchitis. Meningitis Herpes simplex virus type 2 affects mostly females and occurs in the context of a manifest genital herpes. A quarter of women with untreated genital herpes may present life during recurrent meningitis. Varicella-zoster virus meningitis should be considered in the presence of varicella or herpes zoster associated with meningian syndrome. Some of these patients, especially children, may develop an acute cerebellar ataxia syndrome. Infection with arboviruses meets during the summer months, and the virus is spread by insects and mites. Vaccination is an effective way to prevent the subsequent development of meningitis or other neurological complications associated with measles virus infection, mumps or polio, being especially helpful for young children who often tend to present more complications from viral meningitis.
Clinical
Viral meningitis does not evolve with a severe clinical picture as is the case of bacterial meningitis. Symptoms and signs are similar, but more removed. Most often patients complain moderate or mild headache, malaise, morning sickness, abdominal pain and slight confusion. Nausea and vomiting are related to neurological damage, being disturbed on the nervous control of visceral vagus nerve damage. The hospital is found fever, signs of irritation meningiana, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Is slightly altered state of consciousness, lethargy or a patient presenting a state of drowsiness. Anorexia is common in most patients, being more pronounced in children. Headache of viral meningitis is characteristically localized in the frontal or retroorbitala. Headache is more pronounced during the morning and relieved after vomiting. Many patients complain glare intolerance (photophobia) and eye pain when trying to deploy them.
The neurological exam found signs of cranial nerve palsy, focal neurological signs and symptoms that can challenge the brain parenchymal damage. Slight alteration of consciousness or seizures are events normal light, but a more profound impairment of consciousness such as stupor, coma or confusion must be marked to guide the physician to other diagnoses than viral meningitis. Neck stiffness occurs in most patients, but it is much easier than if macteriene meningitis. Signs of irritation such as those arising from the maneuver meningiana Brudzinski and Kernig absent (see the article "Acute Bacterial Meningitis").