acyclovir and Chorea

Children with herpes simplex virus encephalitis have a relapse in approximately 25% of cases, which rarely may present as a movement disorder, most often choreoathetosis. The anatomic basis for herpes simplex virus encephalitis-associated movement disorders has been poorly understood, because neuroimaging, to date, has not been able to show the direct involvement of the areas of the brain that typically govern such movements. We present a patient with abnormal involuntary movements after herpes simplex virus encephalitis, with new lesions on MRI between the time of initial presentation and the development of choreoathetosis. To our knowledge, this is the first patient with a post-herpes simplex virus encephalitis movement disorder with neuroradiographic evidence of thalamic involvement correlating with the onset of abnormal involuntary movements. We describe this patient and review the literature on movement disorders and herpes simplex virus encephalitis. Current understanding of the pathophysiology of post-herpes simplex virus encephalitis movement disorders proposes 2 possible mechanisms that may be responsible: reinfection with the resumption of viral replication, or a postinfectious, immune-mediated process.

Topics: Acyclovir; Athetosis; Basal Ganglia; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Chorea; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome

A 75-year-old woman presented with new onset of confusion, intense episodic dizziness and formed visual hallucinations. Herpes simplex encephalitis and non-convulsive temporal lobe seizures were confirmed with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and electroencephalography testing. In addition, her hospital course was complicated by syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion and atonic bladder contributing to an episode of urinary tract infection. After completing 3 weeks of acyclovir treatment, the patient became obtunded with right arm choreiform movements and persistent inflammatory CSF findings not attributable to persistent herpes simplex virus infection or other confounding factors. The patient responded to steroid treatment. Repeated autoimmune and paraneoplastic evaluations were negative. Both clinical (cognitive testing and atonic bladder) and CSF inflammatory finding improved in the follow-up period.

Topics: Acyclovir; Aged; Antiviral Agents; Chorea; Electroencephalography; Encephalitis; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex; Female; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Inappropriate ADH Syndrome; Methylprednisolone; Seizures; Urinary Bladder, Underactive; Urinary Retention; Urinary Tract Infections

Herpes simplex encephalitis is a severe neurological condition, whose outcome is improved if treated early with acyclovir. Post-herpes simplex encephalitis with acute chorea has rarely been reported.. We report on two observations of children presenting with post-herpes simplex encephalitis with acute chorea, related to two different pathophysiological mechanisms. The first one is an 11-month-old girl developing relapsing herpes simplex encephalitis with chorea due to resumption of viral replication. The second one is a 2-year-old boy with relapsing post-herpes simplex encephalitis acute chorea caused by an immunoinflammatory mechanism. We discuss the different neurological presentations of herpetic relapses, notably those presenting with movement disorders, as well as their clinical, paraclinical, physiopathological, and therapeutic aspects.. Post-herpes simplex encephalitis with acute chorea may involve two mechanisms: resumption of viral replication or an immunoinflammatory mechanism. Treatment of post-herpes simplex encephalitis with acute chorea depends on the underlying mechanism, while prevention is based on antiviral treatment of herpes simplex encephalitis with acyclovir at the dose of 20mg/kg/8h for 21 days.

Topics: Acyclovir; Antiviral Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Chorea; Consanguinity; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex; Female; Humans; Male; Recurrence; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome

Topics: 2-Aminopurine; Acyclovir; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Chorea; Drug Interactions; Famciclovir; Herpes Zoster; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Renal Dialysis; Valacyclovir; Valine

Twelve children with type 1 herpes simplex encephalitis (3 with relapse, 9 without) have been monitored during the past 7 years. Ten of the children received intravenous infusion of acyclovir (30 mg/kg/day) for 10 days, 1 child who experienced relapse received 15 mg/kg/day, and another relapsed child received no antiviral agents until relapse. Relapse occurred 20-36 days after initial onset. All relapsed patients underwent another 10 days of acyclovir treatment (30 mg/kg/day). Choreoathetosis appeared as the initial sign of relapse followed by rapidly progressive unresponsiveness in all 3 relapsed patients: in 1 nonrelapsed patient choreoathetosis occurred during the recovery period. In these 4 patients involuntary movement was remitted within 3 months to 2 years. One patient with choreoathetosis died of measles pneumonia 4 months after onset of herpes simplex encephalitis and the surviving 3 were severely retarded. Although neuroimaging sparing of basal ganglia does not indicate structural and functional abnormalities, the disturbance of the neural connection among the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex, which manifested severe damage over frontal, temporal, and parietal mantles on CT, may be the source of movement disorders in these patients. We conclude that choreoathetosis may be the first sign of relapse of herpes simplex encephalitis in children and may be an indicator of poor prognosis. The neuropathogenesis of choreoathetosis requires further investigation.

Topics: Acyclovir; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anticonvulsants; Athetosis; Basal Ganglia; Brain Damage, Chronic; Cerebral Cortex; Child; Child, Preschool; Chorea; Dominance, Cerebral; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; Encephalitis, Viral; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Herpes Simplex; Herpesvirus 1, Human; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Neurologic Examination; Recurrence

On the 4th day of acyclovir treatment for Herpes simplex pneumonia, a 28 month-old girl who had received allogenic marrow transplant for stage IV neuroblastoma presented with severe neurologic disorders including coma and choreic movements. These symptoms disappeared 9 days after acyclovir was stopped. The disturbance in acyclovir kinetics because of acute renal failure and/or a cerebral cortex atrophy might explain the poor neurologic tolerance of acyclovir. This reversible neurologic involvement on a prone patient should be known as a differential diagnosis of Herpes simplex encephalitis.

Topics: Acyclovir; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Child, Preschool; Chorea; Coma; Herpesviridae Infections; Humans; Postoperative Complications; Transplantation, Homologous