Enteroviral encephalitis presenting as rapidly progressive aphasia

Enteroviral CNS infection is common and its clinical course is usually benign. In immunocompromised patients, however, it can cause meningoencephalitis, presenting with altered mentality and seizure. We describe a previously healthy female patient with enteroviral meningoencephalitis who showed rapidly progressive aphasia. Examination of her cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed pleocytosis with lymphocyte dominance, elevated protein, and normal glucose, findings compatible with viral encephalitis. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) brain MRI showed hyperintensity in the left frontal and parietal cortices. Enterovirus in the CSF was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the CSF. Although her neurological deficits had progressed to global aphasia, conservative management resulted in complete improvement within 3 months. This case provides unusual clinical manifestations and imaging findings in enteroviral encephalitis.