[Acute encephalitis: study of a childhood case load].

Twenty patients with viral encephalitis were studied retrospectively. Among these, in 2 cases, it was possible to formulate the diagnosis of encephalitis with viral replication by herpes virus on the basis of finding of cerebrospinal fluid IgM, serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid specific antibody rate movement and TC-scan necrotic lesions in typical sites. In 18 of 20 patients it was formulated the generic diagnosis of encephalitis without evidence of viral replication. Among these last 18 patients, 7 were considered affected by post-infective encephalitis on the basis of the anamnestic finding of the causing disease within 30 days from the appearance of the first symptoms. Into the 11 other the etiology was anamnestically hidden. The outcome was essentially favourable in the considered cases (16/20 complete recoveries). Poor outcome factors were considered the presence of herpetic infection and TC-scan alterations into the group of encephalitis without evidence of viral replication in association of anamnestic finding of measles.