How is encephalitis caused?
Encephalitis generally falls into two categories: one is infectious inflammation caused by pathogenic infections, and the other is immune inflammation caused by abnormalities in immune mechanisms. Among these, the infectious type is the most common, including viral encephalitis, viral meningitis, tuberculous meningoencephalitis, purulent meningitis, and cryptococcal meningitis, which are associated with infections by viruses, bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Cryptococcus, respectively. Additionally, abnormalities in the immune system often cause autoimmune encephalitis, as well as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica when involving the brain, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, all of which are types of autoimmune encephalitis. The treatment approaches for these two types of encephalitis are different. For pathogen-induced cases, treatment primarily targets the pathogens: antiviral drugs for viral encephalitis, antibiotics for bacterial encephalitis, anti-tubercular therapy involving multiple drugs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and antifungal drugs, such as amphotericin B, for cryptococcal meningitis. For immune-mediated encephalitis, treatments generally involve immunosuppressants, high-dose corticosteroids, or intravenous immunoglobulins.