Limbic encephalitis associated with herpes simplex virus-1: case report

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is a double-stranded DNA virus and is the most common cause of fatal sporadic encephalitis world-wide. HSV-1 encephalitis is characterized by rapid onset of fever, headache, altered mental status, seizures and focal neurological symptoms. Paraneoplastic and autoimmune limbic encephalitis is a condition which presents with similar signs and symptoms, and which develops as a result of antibodies raised against the tumor or synaptic proteins. In patients with this condition, bacterial and viral causes should be excluded, particularly HSV-1 encephalitis. In this report, we present a rare case of limbic encephalitis associated with HSV-1 virus.