Japanese Spotted Fever Associated with Mild Encephalitis/Encephalopathy with a Reversible Splenial Lesion

Emi Tanaka1, Naohiro Oda1, Shigeru Ota2

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuyama City Hospital, Japan.

A 58-year-old woman had disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and septic shock caused by Japanese spotted fever (JSF). Following treatment with minocycline, her general condition gradually improved; however, her disorientation persisted. Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) type II was diagnosed based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing a hyperintense area in the splenium of the corpus callosum and bilateral cerebral white matter on diffusion-weighted imaging. Thereafter, her consciousness gradually improved, but she continued to experience difficulty concentrating and attention deficits. MERS type II may take longer to improve than type I, and long-term follow-up is required.

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