ABSTRACT
Pierre Mollaret is mainly known for his contributions to infectious diseases and their prevention. He also described benign, recurrent endothelio-leukocytic meningitis in three patients who had short-lived recurrent attacks of fever, headache and vomiting caused by sterile meningitis, with 'fantomes cellulaires' (cell ghosts) in the cerebrospinal fluid. Identical symptoms are caused by Herpes simplex virus-2 and other viruses. The term Mollaret's meningitis should be restricted to idiopathic recurrent aseptic meningitis. This paper briefly outlines the syndrome and its discoverer.
Subject(s)
Meningitis, Aseptic/history , Meningitis, Aseptic/pathology , Neurology/history , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , HumansABSTRACT
Some of the main challenges I encountered in clinical virology from 1958-1974 are described. In the earlier years there were two main areas of exploration, namely, neurological and respiratory infections. Later, tests for hepatitis and for rubella were developed and these diseases became of increasing importance.
