Viral meningitis - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

Viral meningitis is typically self-limited with no serious sequelae.
Infants, immunocompromised patients, and those infected with herpes viruses or arboviruses are more likely to have complications.
It is important to distinguish viral meningitis from bacterial meningitis, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and requires urgent treatment.
Early diagnosis of viral meningitis may allow antibiotics to be stopped and patients to be discharged from the hospital.

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History & Exam
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Definition

Epidemiology

Etiology

Pathophysiology

Citations

Key Articles

McGill F, Heyderman RS, Michael BD, et al. The UK joint specialist societies guideline on the diagnosis and management of acute meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in immunocompetent adults. J Infect. 2016 Apr;72(4):405-38.[Abstract][Full Text]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Viral meningitis. May 2021 [internet publication].[Full Text]
Miller JM, Binnicker MJ, Campbell S, et al. Guide to utilization of the microbiology laboratory for diagnosis of infectious diseases: 2024 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Clin Infect Dis. 2024 Mar 5:ciae104.[Abstract][Full Text]

Referenced Articles

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