[Acute polyradiculoneuritis during primary herpes simple virus infection]

A Cosson1, L Tatu, P Decavel

  • 1Fédération des Sciences Neurologiques, CHU Jean Minjoz, 25000 Besançon, France. acosson@chu-besancon.fr

Revue Neurologique
|October 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Acute polyradiculoneuritis (APRN) is rarely caused by primary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. This case highlights a rare instance of APRN developing after a patient

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Herpes virus family members, such as cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, are frequently linked to acute polyradiculoneuritis (APRN).
  • APRN typically arises from viral reactivation rather than primary infection within the herpes simplex virus (HSV) group.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with symptoms indicative of acute polyradiculoneuritis.
  • The onset of APRN occurred subsequent to a primary infection with herpes simplex virus.

Findings:

  • This case documents an unusual occurrence of APRN directly following a primary herpes simplex virus infection.
  • The specific strain identified was likely herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-II).

Implications:

  • This case expands the known clinical spectrum of herpes simplex virus infections.
  • It underscores the importance of considering primary HSV infection in the differential diagnosis of APRN, even when uncommon.

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