Case Report
H1N1 Associated Encephalopathy in an Adult: Response to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Supporting an Autoimmune Pathogenesis
Ibrahim Imam* | |
Department of Neurology, Torbay Hospital, Torquay, Devon, UK | |
Corresponding Author : | Ibrahim Imam Department of Neurology, Torbay Hospital Torquay, Devon, United Kingdom Tel: 44 1803 614567 E-mail: iimam@nhs.net |
Received March 17, 2015; Accepted Novmber 15, 2015; Published Novmber 20, 2015 | |
Citation:Imam I (2015) H1N1 Associated Encephalopathy in an Adult: Response to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Supporting an Autoimmune Pathogenesis. J Neuroinfect Dis 6:193. doi:10.4172/2314-7326.1000193 | |
Copyright: © 2015 Imam I. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | |
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Abstract
Background: Influenza H1N1 infection in adults is rare and neurological involvement has been reported in only a few cases. Case report: We present a young woman whose initial diagnosis was viral encephalitis because she presented with headache, confusion and seizures. She was admitted and treated with acyclovir, ceftriaxone and phenytoin but however deteriorated. She was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she was intubated and sedated. She was then treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) on the presumptive diagnosis of autoimmune encephalopathy. Influenza H1N1 infection was not considered as a diagnosis but her routine viral serology obtained during admission showed a rising titre to Influenza H1N1. Conclusion: Influenza H1N1 encephalopathy is rare in adults. This report supports an autoimmune pathogenesis.