• Nicoletta Riva, Iacopo Franconi, Marianna Meschiari, Erica Franceschini, Cinzia Puzzolante, Gianluca Cuomo, Alessandro Bianchi, Francesca Cavalleri, Maurilio Genovese, and Cristina Mussini.
• Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via largo del Pozzo 71, 41123, Modena, Italy. nicoletta.riva@studio.unibo.it.
• Infection. 2017 Jun 1; 45 (3): 385-388.

AbstractWe report a case of an acute HHV-7 encephalitis involving the nucleus of the VI cranial nerve in an immunocompetent host. The patient was an adult male admitted to our Clinic with headache, diplopia, fever, nausea, vertigo, asthenia and general malaise. PCR for viral and bacterial genomes was run on both serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) after performing lumbar puncture, resulting positive only for HHV-7 DNA on CSF. MRI showed hyperintensity in FLAIR signal in the dorsal pons, in the area of the VI cranial nerve nucleus. Empirical therapy with Acyclovir and Dexamethasone was started at the time of admission and was continued after the microbiology results. After three days of therapy diplopia, fever and other previous clinical manifestations improved and the patient recovered normal sight. Our case report contributes to a better understanding of the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of HHV-7 encephalitis in immunocompetent patients due to reactivation in adult age.

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