Cerebral inflammation & disorders Flashcards Preview

BRS Year 2 v1 > Cerebral inflammation & disorders > Flashcards

Flashcards in Cerebral inflammation & disorders Deck (22)
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1
Q

what is meningitis?

A

inflammation of the meninges caused by viral or bacterial infection

2
Q

what is encephalitis?

A

inflammation of the brain caused by infection or autoimmune mechanisms

3
Q

what is cerebral vasculitis?

A

inflammation of blood vessel walls

4
Q

what does the histology of meningitis look like?

A

infiltration of subarachnoid space by WBCs, pussy exudate

5
Q

what does the histology of viral encephalitis look like?

A

perivascular cuffing

6
Q

how vascularised is the brain?

A

no neuron is more than 100micrometers from a capillary

7
Q

how does the BBB form?

A

BBB capillaries have extensive tight junctions at endothelial cell-cell contacts, nothing can freely diffuse

8
Q

what happens if the BBB is broken?

A

blood leaks into brain, astrocytes attempt to clear blood borne products by retracting end feet (leaving BBB undefended)

9
Q

what may happen long term if the BBB is chronically disrupted?

A

fibrosis in brain vessels, small vessel disease

10
Q

what are the initial symptoms of encephalitis?

A

flu like with pyrexia and headache

11
Q

what are the overall symptoms of encephalitis?

A
confusion/disorientation
seizures
depending on lobe affected:
changes in personality/behaviour
difficulty speaking
weakness or loss of movement
loss of consciousness 
catatonicity
12
Q

what are the viral causes of encephalitis?

A

herpex simplex
measles
varicella
rubella

13
Q

what are the non-viral causes of encephalitis?

A

mosquito/insect bites
bacterial or fungal infections - untreated meningitis
trauma
autoimmune

14
Q

how is encephalitis treated?

A
depends on underlying cause
antivirals/antibiotics/antifungals
steroids
analgesics
anti-convulsants (often prophylactically)
ventilation
15
Q

what is multiple sclerosis?

A

demyelinating autoimmune disease of the CNS

relapsing and remitting - 1st resolves spontaneously

16
Q

what is the cellular pathology of multiple sclerosis?

A

inflammation
demyelination & axonal loss (larger grey areas)
neurodegeneration

17
Q

what are the bacterial causes of meningitis?

A

meningococcal (most common)
pneumococcal
haemophilus influenzae type B
streptococcal (main cause in newborns)

18
Q

what are the causes of meningitis?

A

bacteria
viruses (rarely life threatening)
fungi

19
Q

how is meningitis diagnosed?

A

lumbar puncture for CSF sample

20
Q

what are the hallmarks of meningitis?

A

sudden onset of fever, headache, nausea, double vision, photophobia, stiff neck, rash

21
Q

what are some long term effects of meningitis?

A
disabilities
memory loss
coordination loss
behaviour changes
paralysis/weakness
speech coord issues
visual defects
22
Q

what diagnostic tests are useful for suspected encephalitis or meningitis?

A

Decks in BRS Year 2 v1 Class (67):