[Comparative clinical study of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and non-herpes simplex sporadic encephalitis...

HSV specific antibody IgG was detected in the sera and CSF of 43 patients with sporadic encephalitis by the initial and follow-up tests with ELISA. Twelve cases of HSE were diagnosed, accounting for 27.8% of the cases of sporadic encephalitis, the clinical manifestations of HSE and NHSSE were compared. Differences were observed with regard to the age, general states, mental symptoms, disturbance of consciousness, and fatality rate. The abnormalities in EEG, CSF examination and CT scanning were found to be more severe in the HSE cases. It was concluded that these differences would be of use only as a diagnostic aid where as additional specific tests would be necessary for an accurate diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis.