TY - JOUR
T1 - Varicella Zoster Virus encephalitis in Denmark from 2015 to 2019- A nationwide prospective cohort study
AU - Danish Study Group of Infections of the Brain (DASGIB)
AU - Herlin, Laura Krogh
AU - Hansen, Kristoffer Skaalum
AU - Bodilsen, Jacob
AU - Larsen, Lykke
AU - Brandt, Christian
AU - Andersen, Christian Østergaard
AU - Hansen, Birgitte Rønde
AU - Rudolf Lüttichau, Hans
AU - Helweg-Larsen, Jannik
AU - Wiese, Lothar
AU - Storgaard, Merete
AU - Nielsen, Henrik
AU - Mogensen, Trine H
N1 - © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
PY - 2021/4/8
Y1 - 2021/4/8
N2 - BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis remains limited.METHODS: Nationwide prospective cohort study of adults treated for microbiologically confirmed VZV encephalitis at Danish departments of infectious diseases from 2015 to 2019. Modified Poisson regression analysis was used to compute adjusted relative risks (RRs) of unfavorable outcome.RESULTS: We identified 92 adults (49% female) with VZV encephalitis, yielding an incidence of 5.3/1 000 000 per year (95% CI, 4.2-6.6). Median age was 75 years (IQR, 67-83) and immunocompromising conditions were frequent (39%). Predominant symptoms were confusion (76%), headache (56%), nausea (45%), gait disturbance (42%), and personality changes (41%). Cranial imaging showed cerebral vasculitis (including infarction and hemorrhage) in 14 (16%) patients and encephalitic abnormalities in 11 (13%) with predilection for the brainstem and deep brain structures. Intravenous acyclovir treatment was initiated a median (IQR) of 13.4 hours (5.2-46.3) since admission, while cranial imaging and lumbar puncture were performed after 6.3 hours (2.5-31.0) and 18.5 hours (4.9-42.0). In-hospital, 1-month, and 3-month mortalities were 4%, 9%, and 11%, respectively. Unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Score of 1-4) was found in 69% at discharge, with age (adjusted RR [aRR], 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), vasculitis (aRR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02-1.86), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <15 (aRR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.73) identified as independent risk factors.CONCLUSIONS: VZV encephalitis occurs primarily in elderly or immunocompromised patients with a higher incidence than previously estimated. The diagnosis is often delayed; risk factors for unfavorable outcome are age, cerebral vasculitis, and GCS <15.
AB - BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis remains limited.METHODS: Nationwide prospective cohort study of adults treated for microbiologically confirmed VZV encephalitis at Danish departments of infectious diseases from 2015 to 2019. Modified Poisson regression analysis was used to compute adjusted relative risks (RRs) of unfavorable outcome.RESULTS: We identified 92 adults (49% female) with VZV encephalitis, yielding an incidence of 5.3/1 000 000 per year (95% CI, 4.2-6.6). Median age was 75 years (IQR, 67-83) and immunocompromising conditions were frequent (39%). Predominant symptoms were confusion (76%), headache (56%), nausea (45%), gait disturbance (42%), and personality changes (41%). Cranial imaging showed cerebral vasculitis (including infarction and hemorrhage) in 14 (16%) patients and encephalitic abnormalities in 11 (13%) with predilection for the brainstem and deep brain structures. Intravenous acyclovir treatment was initiated a median (IQR) of 13.4 hours (5.2-46.3) since admission, while cranial imaging and lumbar puncture were performed after 6.3 hours (2.5-31.0) and 18.5 hours (4.9-42.0). In-hospital, 1-month, and 3-month mortalities were 4%, 9%, and 11%, respectively. Unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Score of 1-4) was found in 69% at discharge, with age (adjusted RR [aRR], 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), vasculitis (aRR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02-1.86), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <15 (aRR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.73) identified as independent risk factors.CONCLUSIONS: VZV encephalitis occurs primarily in elderly or immunocompromised patients with a higher incidence than previously estimated. The diagnosis is often delayed; risk factors for unfavorable outcome are age, cerebral vasculitis, and GCS <15.
KW - encephalitis
KW - viral encephalitis
KW - varicella zoster virus
KW - vasculitis
U2 - 10.1093/cid/ciaa185
DO - 10.1093/cid/ciaa185
M3 - Article
C2 - 32103249
SN - 1058-4838
VL - 72
SP - 1192
EP - 1199
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
IS - 7
ER -