Cerebral Inflammation Flashcards
What is meningitis
inflammation of meninges → viral or bacterial cause
what is encephalitis?
inflammation of brain → infectious or other autoimmune cause
what is cerebral vasculitis?
inflammation of blood vessel walls sometimes callled angitis
what is the blood brain barrier?
tight junctions between capillary endothelial cell contact points massively reducing solute and fluid leak across the capillary wall
What’s the function of the blood brain barrier
reduce solute and fluid leak out of capillaries → better control over substances entering the brain. Specific membrane transporters are used to transport substances in and out of the CNS
different causes of blood brain barrier disruption?
astrocytosis/astrogliosis (overproduction of astrocytes), fibrinogen leakage, endothelial cell disruption, collagenous disruption
encephalitis initial symptoms?
flu-like with pyrexia and headache
Subsequent symptoms of encephalitis
confusion/disorientation, seizures/fits, personality and behaviour changes, difficulty speaking, weakness or loss of movement, loss of consciousness
most common causes of encephalitis?
mostly viral → herpes simplex virus, measles, varicella, rubella
- insect bite, bacterial/fungal infections, trauma, autoimmune
treatment and management of encephalitis
depends on underlying cause. includes antivirals e.g. acyclovir, steroids, antibiotics/antifungals, analgesics, anticonvulsants, ventilation
what is multiple sclerosis?
autoimmune demyelinating CNS disease
Occurrence pattern of ms
relapsing episodes of higher neurological deficit linked to inflammatory activity (relapsing-remitting phase), gradual worsening with neurodegeneration
Pathological process of ms
inflammation → demyelination → axonal loss → neurodegeneration
what kind of inflammation drives MS?
perivascular immune cell infiltration → CD3 T-cells, CD20 B-cells
most common cause of meningitis?
bacterial. often meningococcal, pneumococcal, streptococcal (main neonatal meningitis cause), haemophilus influenza type b
Can be caused by viral (rarely life threatening)fungal
