A case report of Dengue Encephalitis

Abstract

Dengue fever is a common mosquito borne viral febrile illness which rarely affects the central nervous system and presents with encephalitis. This case is about a 14 years old boy who presented with high grade fever and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Electroencephalogram showed generalized spike activity and periodicity with normal CT scan of the brain. Dengue encephalitis was diagnosed with a positive Dengue IgM in CSF on the sixth day of illness. He was discharged 8 days after admission without any neurological deficit. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion in arriving at the correct diagnosis in rare presentations of common diseases.