[Differential diagnosis for diseases similar to acute encephalitis/encephalopathy].

ABSTRACT

Acute encephalitis/encephalopathy is a life-threatening disease, and early diagnosis is important. The acute encephalitis/encephalopathy is characterized by impaired consciousness, delirium, convulsion, pyrexia, vomiting, headache, paralysis and so on. We need to distinguish various diseases with similar symptoms, such as febrile seizure, bacterial meningitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cerebrovascular disease, non-convulsive status epilepticus, benign convulsion with gastroenteritis, hypoglycemia, inherited metabolic disease, toxicosis, heat attack, somatoform disorder and so on, from acute encephalitis/encephalopathy. We describe the features of these diseases in point of view with difference from acute encephalitis/encephalopathy. A synthetic and prompt evaluation including medical interview, neurological sign, blood examination, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, spinal fluid examination, electroencephalogram, is necessary to diagnose as acute encephalitis/encephalopathy.