Cerebral inflammation Flashcards
What are the three main types of cerebral inflammation?
Meningitis
Encephalitis
Cerebral vasculitis
What is meningitis?
Inflammation of the meninges caused by viral or bacterial infection
What is encephalitis?
Inflammation of the brain caused by infection or autoimmune mechanisms
What is cerebral vasculitis?
Inflammation of blood vessels walls (angiitis)
There is cuffing, infiltration of lymphocytic cells around the vessels into the parenchyma of the brain .
Describe the vascularisation of the CNS?
Dense capillaries and pial vessels.
What type of junctions form the blood brain barrier?
Tight junctions
Which type of glial cells maintains the structure of the blood-brain barrier?
Astrocytes
What type of transporters control the exchange of solutes within the blood brain barrier?
Efflux and influx transporters
Fibrinogen leakage into the brain parenchyma results in what physiological response?
Astrocytes undergo astrogliosis, forming a glial scar.
The retraction of the astrocytic end feet potentiates further disruption to the blood brain barrier, resulting in collagenous disruption.
What are the initial symptoms of encephalitis?
Pyrexia and headache
What are the subsequent symptoms associated with encephalitis?
Confusion or disorientation Seizures or fits Changes in personality and behaviour Difficulty speaking (dysphasia) Weakness or loss of movement Loss of consciousness
What are the common viral causes of encephalitis?
Herpes simplex
Measles
Varicella
Rubella
What are the common non-viral causes of encephalitis?
Mosquito, tick and other insect bites
Bacterial and fungal infections
Trauma
Autoimmune
What are the treatments for encephalitis?
Antivirals (acyclovir) Steroids Antibiotics/antifungals Analgesics Anti-convulsants Ventilation
What is MS?
An autoimmune demyelinating disease of the CNS
What is MS relapse linked with?
Linked with inflammatory activity
What is the cellular pathology in MS?
1) Inflammation
2) Demyelination
3) Axonal loss
4) Neurodegeneration
Changes in periventricular white matter progressively worsen with an ongoing relapsing demyelinating process.
Describe the symptom and pathology distribution within patients with MS?
Random
Which types of immune cells are associated with inflammation in MS?
Perivascular immune cell infiltration by CD3 T cells and CD20 B cells.
Which bacteria is the most common cause of meningitis in the UK?
Meningococcal
Which type of bacteria meningitis is most common in newborn babies?
Streptococcal
What are the four main types of bacterial meningitis?
Meningococcal
Pneumococcal
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)
Streptococcal
