Frequent differences between encephalopathy and encephalitis
| Encephalopathy | Encephalitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Reproduced from Davis,7 with permission. | ||
| These features are only guidelines for the clinician to help in the distinction between the two conditions. An individual patient is likely to show various combinations of these features. | ||
| CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; EEG, electroencephalogram; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging. | ||
| Clinical features | ||
| Fever | Uncommon | Common |
| Headache | Uncommon | Common |
| Depressed mental status | Steady deterioration | May fluctuate |
| Focal neurologic signs | Uncommon | Common |
| Types of seizures | Generalised | Generalised or focal |
| Laboratory findings | ||
| Blood | Leucocytosis uncommon | Leucocytosis common |
| CSF | Pleocytosis uncommon | Pleocytosis common |
| EEG | Diffuse slowing | Diffuse slowing and focal abnormalities |
| MRI | Often normal | Focal abnormalities |