The Intracerebral Haemorrhage in Patients With Dengue Fever: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dengue virus is a neurotropic virus capable of infecting the supporting cells of the central nervous system. One of the most severe neurological consequences of this infection is intracerebral haemorrhage, which is a leading cause of death worldwide. This study aimed to systematically review and analyse the existing literature on this topic, providing insights into the potential neurological consequences for patients with dengue fever. A comprehensive search was conducted across the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases to extract relevant published data up to February 2025. This meta-analysis included articles that were designed as cohort studies. A critical appraisal was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score. Risk was employed as a measure of pooled effect size based on a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q test and the I index. This meta-analysis included 6 studies involving a total of 2861 individuals who directly assessed the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. The reported risk of intracerebral haemorrhage was 14 cases per 1000 dengue fever patients [0.014 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.026), p = 0.020, I = 94.64%]. Notably, prospective studies with low methodological quality indicate a higher risk of intracerebral haemorrhage compared to retrospective studies and those of high quality. Given the high risk of intracerebral haemorrhage in patients with dengue fever, it is essential for physicians to evaluate affected individuals for the potential occurrence of cerebral haemorrhage.