ABSTRACT
Herpes virus reactivation is a well-known phenomenon rarely described in neurosurgery. We report a case of type 2 herpes simplex virus reactivation following neurosurgery of the posterior fossa. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed a lymphocytic pleocytosis of over 200 x 10(6)/l. Viral reactivation should be considered in patients with fever, meningism and extended hospital admission following neurosurgical procedures.
Subject(s)
Decompression, Surgical/adverse effects , Encephalocele/surgery , Herpesvirus 2, Human/physiology , Paresthesia/virology , Rhombencephalon/virology , Virus Activation/physiology , Adult , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Paresthesia/cerebrospinal fluid , Rhombencephalon/surgery , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A 59-year-old patient had been treated by the general surgery department at her local hospital for a recurrent sebaceous cyst on the back of her neck. Cervical MRI showed a cystic structure, posterior to fused vertebral bodies, connected to the skin by a sinus passing through the middle of a split cord malformation. The lesion was excised via an anterior approach. Histology confirmed a benign neurenteric cyst. This rare developmental anomaly, mimicking a common acquired surgical condition, highlights the need for caution in the diagnosis of midline pathology.