Involvement of the central nervous system in dengue fever: Three serologically confirmed cases from Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Pedro F.C. Vasconcelos, Amélia P.A. Travassos Da Rosa, Ivo C.B. Coelho, Dalgimar B. Menezes, Elizabeth S. Travassos Da Rosa, Sueli G. Rodrigues, Jorge F.S. Travassos Da Rosa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Three cases of dengue fever involving the central nervous system (CNS) are reported. All occurred in 1994 during a dengue (DEN) epidemic caused by serotypes DEN-1 and DEN-2. The first case examined was a 17-year-old girl who complained of fever, nuchal rigidity and genital bleeding. Three blood samples were positive by anti-dengue IgM ELISA and showed hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test titers ≥ 1,280. The second case concerned a 86-year-old woman with fever, muscle and joint pains, altered consciousness, syncope, nuchal rigidity and meningismus. Her blood sample showed an HI titer of 1:320 for flaviviruses, and an IgM ELISA positive for dengue. The third case was a 67-year-old woman with fever, abnormal behaviour, seizures, tremor of extremities, thrombocytopenia, increased hematocrit and leukopenia. The patient suffered a typical case of dengue hemorrhagic fever with ensuing shock and a fatal outcome. A single blood sample showed HI antibodies of ≥ 1,280 and an IgM ELISA positive for dengue. No virus could be isolated from any patient by inoculation of blood into C6/36 cells and suckling mice. No other agent of disease was encountered in the patient.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)35-39
Number of pages5
JournalRevista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo
Volume40
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CNS involvement
  • Dengue
  • Dengue IgM
  • Encephalitis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Infectious Diseases

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