[Cerebral haematoma in the course of herpes simplex encephalitis]

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common cause of infectious encephalitis at all ages. The usual presentation includes a high temperature, headache and confusion associated with convulsions and signs of a focal neurological deficiency. The typical findings shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) consist of hyperintense lesions, in T2 and FLAIR sequences, especially in the medial and inferior temporal lobe. AIMS. The aim of this paper is to report a case of HSE that associated a cerebral haematoma (CH) in its clinical course.

A 69 year old female patient who was admitted to hospital because of a syndrome of high temperature, confusion and urinary infection. Studies of the cerebrospinal fluid showed only a slight pleocytosis, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the herpes simplex virus (HSV) was required. Initial MRI scanning showed an image that was compatible with cerebritis in the left parieto occipital lobe. A later RMI scan revealed a cerebral haematoma in the left parieto occipital lobe, together with new haemorrhagic foci in the bifrontal and in the right temporal lobes. The haematoma was drained surgically and empirical therapy was begun with acyclovir, and later a positive HSV PCR was received. The patient responded favourably to the therapy and was discharged from hospital.

A variety of atypical presentations in HSE have been reported. Our case presented scant pleocytosis, infrequent lesion topography and coursed with CH. Only a few cases of this last occurrence have been reported in the literature.

The presence of infrequent features, such as CH, within the framework of the clinical features of encephalopathy cannot exclude the possible existence of HSE.