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Due to its relatively low incidence, acute encephalitis remains poorly studied. To better define the etiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes of this condition, investigators retrospectively analyzed all cases seen at a tertiary care medical center in Minnesota between 2000 and 2012.
A total of 198 patients were identified (51% male; mean age, 58). Viral encephalitis accounted for 95 cases (48%): herpes simplex virus in 19%, varicella zoster virus in 11%, West Nile virus in 9%, Epstein-Barr virus in 3%, HIV in 2%, and other viral pathogens in 5%. Autoimmune disease was responsible for 22% of cases, with disease mainly due to anti–N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor or voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies. Etiology was unidentified in 30…