1f:T423,

Introduction

This report deals with clinical and laboratory findings in a group of 11 patients who were seen at the Neurological Institute between 1950 and 1956. The patients, all of whom suffered from encephalopathies, had in common distinctive abnormalities in the electroencephalogram (EEG), namely, periodic synchronous bursts of high-amplitude slow-wave activity, at times irregular in pattern but usually with spike-and-wave-like components. The bursts in most instances lasted for a few seconds and recurred periodically every 5 to 10 seconds. Between these bursts depressed activity was seen. The underlying illnesses represent a wide range of etiologies, apparently unrelated. The clinical course and final outcome also varied widely. Upon analysis of the clinical features, however, a number of similarities among the cases were found, namely, "organic" mental impairment, myoclonic seizures and generalized convulsions, choreoathetoid dyskinesia, and rigidity. While all these features did not occur in all cases, most of them were present20:T437,BECAUSE of the high mortality ofHerpesvirus hominisencephalitis and recent data suggesting that treatment should be considered, the real incidence of this disease is now important. This incidence remains unknown. However, on the basis of our experience, herpesvirus encephalitis is relatively common.^1,2 Nolan and co-workers¹concluded that patients withH hominisencephalitis who are in coma (unresponsive to all external stimuli) or are having convulsions have a poor prognosis. Conversely, patients who are not in coma and do not have convulsions may survive intact. Interest in the possibility of therapy has been stimulated by five recent reports of individual patients with herpesvirus encephalitis who received idoxuridine.^3-7Apparently, about 60% of untreated and variably selected patients die.^8-13Patients who recover may sustain severe, permanent, neurological deficits which include intellectual deterioration, dystonia, and motor weakness. Characteristics have been reported of the general medical illnesses of

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References