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Meningoencephalitis (pronounced /mɛˌnɪŋɡɵ.ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtɨs/, from Greek: meninges- membranes; enkephalos brain; and -itis inflammation) is a medical condition that simultaneously resembles both meningitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the meninges, and encephalitis, which is an infection or inflammation of the brain.

Causes

Causative organisms include protozoans, viral and bacterial pathogens.

Specific types include:

Bacterial

• Listeria monocytogenes
• Neisseria meningitidis

Viral

• Tick-borne meningoencephalitis
• West Nile virus
• Mumps, a reletively common cause of meningoencephalitis. However, most cases are mild, and mumps meningoencephalitis generally does not result in death or neurologic sequalae.^[1]

Other/multiple

• Granulomatous meningoencephalitis
• Other causes include antibodies targeting amyloid beta peptide proteins which have been used during research on Alzheimer's disease.^[2]
• The fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans, can be symptomatically manifested within the CNS as meningoencephalitis with hydrocephalus being a very characteristic finding due to the unique thick polysaccharide capsule of the organism.

Protozoal

• Primary amoebic meningoencephalitise.g., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Sappinia diploidea.
• Trypanosoma brucei
• Toxoplasma gondii (sporozoa) (immunocompromised patients)

Ameobic pathogens exist as free-living protozoans. Nevertheless, these pathogens cause rare and uncommon CNS infections. N. fowleri produces primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The symptoms of PAM are indistinguishable from acute bacterial meningitis. Other amebae cause granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), which is a more subacute and can even a non-symptomatic chronic infection. Ameobic meningoencephalitis can mimic a brain abscess, aseptic or chronic meningitis, or CNS malignancy.^[3]

Prognosis

The disease is associated with high rates of mortality and severe morbidity.^{[citation needed]}

Notable cases

It was the claimed cause of death of the popular British TV presenter Christopher Price.^[4]

In May, 2009 former Premier of New South Wales (Australia) Morris Iemma was admitted to hospital with meningoencephalitis^[5].

See also

• meningism
• ameoba
• Primary ameobic meningoencephalitis
• encephalitis

References