Case report: Dengue hemorrhagic fever with encephalopathy in an adult

Encephalopathy in dengue hemorrhagic fever is a very rare condition and usually occurrs in the febrile stage. We report a 29-year-old woman, who presented with acute fever, thrombocytopenia and positive IgM antibodies for dengue virus. On the fourth hospital day, the fever subsided and she developed a confusional stage. CT scan and MRI of the brain were within normal limits. Electroencephalography (EEG) revealed generalized theta waves. Cerebrospinal fluid was normal. She was treated with supportive treatment. Five days later, she was fully recovered without any neurological deficits. This is a first case of encephalopathy in dengue hemorrhagic fever that developed after the fever subsided.