Encephalitis belongs to which department?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on December 10, 2024
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Encephalitis is primarily a neurological disorder and is an infectious disease of the central nervous system, mainly diagnosed and treated in neurology. There are many causes of encephalitis, with viral encephalitis being the most common. For example, herpes simplex encephalitis is a typical type seen clinically. Patients may experience fever, even with very high temperatures exceeding 40°C, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. If the condition worsens, seizures, coma, and cognitive impairment may occur. These clinical manifestations require further investigations like electroencephalography, cranial MRI, and lumbar puncture. Additionally, there is a specific type of epidemic, known as Japanese encephalitis, which falls under the category of infectious diseases due to its contagious nature.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Can encephalitis be cured?

Encephalitis is divided into many types. If it is a simple herpes virus encephalitis infection, this is a rather dangerous type of encephalitis. Before the advent of antiviral drugs, the mortality rate of this type of encephalitis was very high. Now, with improvements in diagnostic and treatment levels and the development of antiviral drugs, the prognosis for this type of encephalitis is generally quite good. As long as the initial condition is not particularly severe, the patient is not in a coma, or there is no obvious continuous epileptic state, the prognosis is still good, and many patients do not have any residual sequelae. However, if the initial condition is quite severe, there is usually some degree of cognitive impairment or weakness in the limbs. Other viral encephalitides, such as those caused by Coxsackie viruses and adenoviruses, tend to have milder symptoms, mainly fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. These types of encephalitis can mostly be cured with appropriate symptomatic treatment and antiviral therapy.

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Written by Tang Bo
Neurology
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How is a brain encephalitis puncture performed?

The encephalitis you mentioned is considered a central nervous system infection. In this case, a definitive diagnosis requires a lumbar puncture, which you referred to as a puncture. The lumbar puncture requires the patient to be in the lateral recumbent position, then the puncture is performed in the interspaces between L1-L3 or L4-L5 on the back to collect cerebrospinal fluid and conduct tests. This also allows for the examination of pathogens and pressure measurements. After the lumbar puncture, the patient needs to lie flat for six hours with a pillow removed to prevent headaches due to low cranial pressure.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Can encephalitis be cured?

The viruses that cause encephalitis are relatively common. Whether they can be cured depends mainly on the type of virus causing the encephalitis, the severity of the condition, and whether the treatment is timely. Generally, most cases of encephalitis, such as those caused by enterovirus infections, tend to self-heal to a certain extent. The focus should be on care to prevent complications, electrolyte disorders, overheating, and to provide appropriate antiviral treatment. Most patients can be cured. However, there are also some more dangerous types of encephalitis, such as encephalitis caused by the type B encephalitis virus, which can rapidly lead to disturbances in consciousness, seizures, and even respiratory involvement, resulting in respiratory failure. This type of encephalitis is more severe and can leave significant sequelae even if successfully treated. For herpes simplex virus encephalitis, as long as the initial symptoms are not particularly severe and antiviral medications are used in a timely manner, the prognosis is still good.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Does encephalitis cause fever?

If the patient's encephalitis is caused by a viral infection, they usually exhibit fever, often a high fever with temperatures reaching above 39°C, accompanied by significant symptoms such as headache, nausea, and vomiting. Some patients may also experience cognitive dysfunction, epileptic seizures, and psychiatric symptoms. Therefore, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly, complete examinations such as electroencephalography, lumbar puncture, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging, and timely apply effective antiviral medications. It should be noted that some encephalitis is caused by autoimmune reactions, referred to as autoimmune encephalitis, which is relatively rare clinically. This type of encephalitis generally does not present with fever. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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How is encephalitis treated?

The treatment of encephalitis first and foremost involves targeting the pathogen, which includes comprehensive antiviral treatment. After thorough antiviral therapy, the virus can be killed, and the symptoms of encephalitis can fundamentally be alleviated. Secondly, the use of corticosteroids can be combined. Corticosteroids help to suppress inflammatory responses, inhibit excessively activated immune dysfunction, and can reduce cerebral edema, which is beneficial for the recovery from the disease. Third, symptomatic treatment is necessary. If an encephalitis patient experiences symptoms like intracranial hypertension, headache, nausea, and vomiting, some dehydrating drugs to reduce intracranial pressure are needed. If the headache is severe, appropriate symptomatic treatment drugs should be administered. Fourth, it is important to prevent complications. For example, encephalitis often also causes damage to the liver and heart. It is crucial to protect the liver and heart and also to prevent complications such as electrolyte disorders.