[Assessment of etiological diagnostics in adults with aseptic encephalomeningitis--own material]

Epidemiologic, etiologic and clinical assessment of patients with aseptic encephalomeningitis (AE); evaluation of efficacy of diagnostic process.

From January 1996 to August 2002, in seventy seven patients AE was diagnosed on the basis of lymphocytic predominance in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and negative culture of CSF. Analysis comprised: etiology, course of the disease and spectrum of used diagnostic tests.

In 48/77 patients (62.3%) etiology was not identified. In 8/77 patients (10.3%) herpes simplex encephalitis was diagnosed, in 7/77 (9.1%) neuroborreliosis, in 6/77 (7.8%) tuberculosis encephalitis, in 3/77 (3.9%) listerial meningitis, in 3/77 (3.9%) mumps meningitis, and in remaining 2/77 (2.6%) tick-borne encephalitis. The incidence of AE was higher in summer (42.9%) than in any other season. In 14/77 patients (18.2%) the episode of unconsciousness occurred in the course of the disease. In 6 of these 14 patient etiology was unknown, in 4 tuberculosis AE, in 2 herpes simplex encephalitis and in 2 neuroborreliosis was diagnosed. In 7 of 77 patients (9.0%) et least one episode of convulsions occurred.

In 62.3% of patients etiology remained unknown due to clinical and economic reasons. Aseptic encephalomeningitis in adults not always mean the viral etiology and mild course of the disease.