الفهرس 
Aim of the workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Encephalitis refers to inflammation of brain parenchyma, which presented by acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to walk) and /or new onset of a seizure in a person of any age at any time of year.
Viruses are considered the most important etiological agent of encephalitis worldwide. Herpes Simplex virus type 1 is the virus most commonly involved in sporadic fatal encephalitis, usually localized to the temporal and frontal lobes in children for more than three months.
Polymerase chain reaction testing of cerebrospinal fluid has become the diagnostic method of choice for CNS viral infections replacing the use of invasive brain biopsy
So, the aim of this work was to estimate the incidence of Herpes Simplex Virus in children with encephalitis and the relation between HSV PCR results with clinical picture and neuroimaging findings in affected children.
The current study was conducted on 50 patients who meet the diagnostic criteria of encephalitis; their ages range from 3 months to 18 years.
All subjects were recruited from the department of pediatrics ICUs of Menoufia University hospital and Shebin El Kom Fever hospital during the period from May 2018 to October 2018.
Inclusion criteria
1. Age: 1 month -18 years
2. The patients who meet the diagnostic criteria of encephalitis:
- Alteration of consciousness (lasting more than 24 hours, and not more than one week) and not attributable to another identifiable cause
- Fever
- Neurological deficits secondary to the central nervous system involvement: seizures, focal neurological abnormalities (hemiparesis, aphasia, ataxia)
- Cranial nerve deficits (oculomotor and facial)
- CSF findings suggestive of encephalitis
Exclusion criteria: Other causes of encephalopathies, including:
- Brain tumors, vascular disorders, intoxication, and metabolic encephalopathy.
- Bacterial meningitis, brain abscess, and acute organ dysfunction
- Psychosis and epilepsy.
For all patients, the following procedures were performed:
Careful history taking
Developmental milestones and immunization status
Full clinical examination: including general examination, systemic examination and stressing on neurological examination.