Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. Supplementum
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Scand J Infect Dis Suppl · Jan 1985
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAcyclovir versus vidarabine in herpes simplex encephalitis.
One hundred and twenty-seven patients with suspected herpes simplex encephalitis were entered in a randomised, controlled comparative study of therapy with acyclovir 10 mg/kg, 8-hourly, versus vidarabine, 15 mg/kg daily, for 10 days. Consecutive patients were included and nearly all diagnosed cases of HSV-encephalitis in Sweden were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of HSV-encephalitis was verified by demonstration of intrathecal herpes simplex virus (HSV) antibody production and by HSV cultivation, or antigen detection, in brain biopsy or necropsy material. ⋯ Nineteen of 24 (79%) vidarabine-treated patients died or suffered severe sequelae, compared with 9 of 27 (33%) acyclovir-treated patients (p = 0.005). The effect of treatment was influenced by the level of consciousness at the start of therapy. The outcome for 20 vidarabine-treated patients above 30 years of age with HSE was similar to that for the 53 patients reported by an American collaborative study.