Pathogenesis and Management of Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy

ANE is a type of necrotizing lesion of the brain parenchyma. There are two major types of reported cases. One is isolated and sporadic ANE, which is primarily caused by viral infections, particularly influenza and HHV-6 virus. The other type is familial recurrent ANE, which is caused by RANBP2 gene mutations. ANE patients have rapid progression and a very poor prognosis, with acute brain dysfunction occurring within days of viral infection and requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Clinicians still need to investigate and find solutions for the problems of early detection and treatment of ANE.