Herpes simplex encephalitis. Is anticoagulation safe?

BACKGROUND

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) still carries a high morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

The authors report a 27-year-old patient who presented with an HSE manifested by a high temperature, seizures, and headaches. His hospitalization course was complicated by a pulmonary embolism. After anticoagulation was started, the patient developed a right temporal hematoma at the same region of the abnormal signal on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent a craniotomy and evacuation of the hematoma with an uneventful postoperative outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The safety of anticoagulation in HSE has not been raised in the literature previously, and it needs further study.