Infections of the Central Nervous System

Pathology and Genetics

Fabrice Chretien, Kum Thong Wong, Leroy R. Sharer, Katy Keohane, Francoise Gray, Fabrice Chretien, Kum Thong Wong, Leroy R. Sharer

• Editorial: Wiley-Blackwell
• Año: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781119467793
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Medicina
• Categoría: Neurología

Highly commendedat the British Medical Association (BMA)Awards 2019, thisnew volume from the International Society of Neuropathology series addresses infections of the nervous system, written by expert editors. An expansive and inclusive contents list including rare disorders presented in easily referable chapters, containing; definitions, microbiological characteristics, epidemiology, clinical features, lab tests, pathology, genetics and treatment.

1
Introduction and Classification of Infections of the CNS According to the Agent

Fabrice Chrétien^1,2,3, Kum Thong Wong⁴, Leroy R. Sharer⁵, Catherine (Katy) Keohane6, and Françoise Gray^7,8

¹ Department of Neuropathology, Sainte Anne Hospital, Paris, France

² Paris University, Paris, France

³ Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France

⁴ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

⁵ Division of Neuroptathology, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital, Newark, NJ, USA

⁶ Deparment of Pathology and School of Medicine, University College Cork, Brookfield Health Science Complex, Cork, Ireland

⁷ Retired from Department of Pathology, Lariboisière Hospital, APHP, Paris, France

⁸ University Paris Diderot (Paris 7), Paris, France

Despite modern antimicrobial therapies and vaccines, infections of the CNS still have an unacceptably high mortality and may generate permanent neurologic deficits in survivors. The bony structures of the skull and vertebral column and the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) afford strong protection for the brain and spinal cord from invading pathogens. However, once the pathogen enters the CNS, the host defense mechanisms are often inefficient in preventing severe, life‐threatening infections. The clinical severity of infection results from complex interactions between the host and the invading pathogen, but it is clear that CNS infections differ fundamentally from those in other organs and are usually more serious, partly because of the CNS's immunological privilege.

The growing numbers of patients with immune deficiency together with the increased displacement of people (i.e. migrants or international travelers) has expanded the spectrum of infectious diseases and its range, making the pathological diagnosis of CNS infectious disease more difficult. On the other hand, important advances in molecular medicine have improved our knowledge of the genetics of both the pathogens and the immunological characteristics of the host.

For the...