Use of the computed tomographic scan in Japanese encephalitis

Fourteen children with laboratory-confirmed Japanese encephalitis were given cranial computed tomographic (CT) scans six to 30 days after the onset of illness. The findings were variable; there was a generalized decrease in attenuation values, three patients showed features of cerebral atrophy, and four others had normal scans. The findings appeared to relate to both the severity and the stage of the illness at the time the scans were made. CT would appear to be of little use in making a specific diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis.