Different Fate of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis (Clinical and EEG Cases Report)

We followed clinical and EEG examinations of two patients with herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) in acute condition along with monitoring their early and late outcomes. Patients: M. B., 23-year-old female, who completed home treatment as a severe organic psycho-syndrome, reliant on nursing care, and L. J., now 16-year-old female patient, whose HSE in the 3 rd year of her life went into auto-aggressive Rasmussen encephalitislike condition with epileptic status in the form of Epilepsia parcialis continua (EPC).

The EEG signal was statistically processed using «power spectral analysis» with color maps 3D BM showing the performance of individual frequency bands topographically and the measurement of connectivity in longitudinal and transversal direction by means of the mean coherencies — indexes of connectivity.

On the 9th year of L. J. life when she overcame varicella with a significant eruption of the skin and high temperature the highly active EEG patterns were attenuated both graphically and clinically with a significant reduction in focal epilepsy. The latter was affected by a total thiopentotal anesthesia and bolus corticotherapy, as well as amantadine sulphate.

This patient exhibited central right lower limb mono-paresis in a selfstanding walk and 4–5 short myoclonic abduction cramps in arm joints associated with vocalized «hee-haw», deep inspiring and expiring in full consciousness. MRI proved hyperintense area parasagitally on the left side of the centromotor region and EEG with epileptogenic grapho-elements in adjacent scar. We compared the last sample of the EEG signal to the EEG patterns of her homozygous sister and found them identical with no pathological graphoelements.

These patients survival was the result of continuing anti-viral treatment, intensive medical and nursing care aimed to protect neural cells in the brain, the effect of which was longitudinally monitored by classic and statistical EEG signal analysis.

The late outcome of these patients was diametrically different. L. J. graduated from the 9-year primary school with good results. M. B. was progressively mobilized, despite the clinical signs of severe alterations of psychic sphere as a result of postencephalitic encephalopathy with insufficient response to neuroleptics and sedatives. After parents’ agreement received she was transferred to the regional hospital.

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