Related Experiment Videos
Tick-borne encephalitis complicated by monoplegia and sensorineural deafness
1Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School (Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine), London, U.K.
The Journal of Infection
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a rare disease in Britain, presented atypically in a Swedish traveler. Early diagnosis was challenging due to nonspecific symptoms, highlighting the need for increased awareness and testing.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection transmitted by ticks, primarily endemic in parts of Europe and Asia.
- TBE is rarely diagnosed in the United Kingdom, making its recognition challenging in clinical practice.
Observation:
- A case of TBE is presented in a 44-year-old Swedish woman who visited London.
- The patient exhibited nonspecific clinical features, complicating early diagnosis.
- The illness progressed with monoplegia and bulbar involvement, including sensorineural deafness, a rare TBE manifestation.
Findings:
- The clinical presentation, though partly typical, was nonspecific, leading to diagnostic delays.
- Sensorineural deafness was identified as a rare complication of this TBE case.
- The patient's travel history was a key factor in considering the diagnosis.
Implications:
- Increasing international travel necessitates greater awareness of TBE in febrile illnesses with neurological complications in travelers returning from endemic areas.
- The case underscores the importance of considering TBE in differential diagnoses for unexplained neurological conditions, especially in patients with relevant travel history.
- Enhanced availability of serological tests is recommended to facilitate earlier and more accurate diagnosis of TBE.