Diagnosis of acute herpes simplex encephalitis by brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography

Lancet. 1988 May 28;1(8596):1188-91. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)92010-7.

Abstract

Brain perfusion was studied in 14 patients with acute encephalitis by use of 123I-iodoamphetamine or 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), the first examination being made 4-11 days after onset of encephalitis symptoms. All 6 patients with herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE) had strongly increased accumulation of radiotracer in the affected temporal lobe; in the remaining 8 results were normal. At the time of the first SPECT conventional CT images were normal in all patients. The SPECT abnormality in HSVE gradually converted over 4-10 weeks from increased tracer accumulation to greatly subnormal accumulation. Brain perfusion SPECT may be helpful in the early diagnosis of HSVE.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Amphetamines
  • Antibodies, Viral / analysis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Electroencephalography
  • Encephalitis / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Encephalitis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Encephalitis / etiology
  • Encephalitis / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Herpes Simplex / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Herpes Simplex / complications
  • Herpes Simplex / diagnostic imaging*
  • Herpes Simplex / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Oximes
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Simplexvirus / immunology
  • Technetium
  • Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
  • Temporal Lobe*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed*

Substances

  • Amphetamines
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Oximes
  • 4-iodoamphetamine
  • Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
  • Technetium