Eosinophilic meningitis
Eosinophilic meningitis: Meningitis with a high percentage of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The usual cause is the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, also known as the rat lungworm.
People become infected with this parasite by ingesting its larvae in raw or insufficiently cooked snails, slugs, freshwater prawns, frogs, or fish. Infection may also occur by consumption of fresh produce such as contaminated lettuce. When the larvae are ingested, they penetrate the intestinal tract, go into blood vessels, and eventually reach the meninges (the covering of the brain and spinal cord). The larvae usually die there shortly thereafter. An eosinophilic reaction develops in response to the dying larvae. It is manifested by an outpouring of eosinophils in the CSF.
Most cases of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis have been reported in SE Asia and the Pacific Basin. However, in 2002 an outbreak of eosinophilic meningitis was reported in the US. The outbreak struck 12 young adults after they had returned from a trip to Jamaica. Symptoms included headache, neck pain, visual disturbances, and hyperesthesias. Nine of the travelers required hospitalization. A case-control study showed that consumption of a Caesar salad at one dinner was strongly associated with the development of the eosinophilic meningitis.
Most cases of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis are self-limited and resolve without complications. However, neurologic sequelae do develop in some cases, and deaths have been reported from the disease.
Read Also:
- EPA
EPA: 1. The Environmental Protection Agency, a US government agency. 2. Eicosapentaenoic acid, one of the principal omega-3 fatty acids.
- Ependymoma
Ependymoma: A type of brain tumor that derives from the glial cells that line the cavities within the brain’s ventricles. Because cerebrospinal fluid normally flows through these ventricles, blockage due to an ependymoma can cause buildup of fluid, pressure on the brain, and hydrocephalus.
- Ephedra
Ephedra: A medicinal herb, known scientifically as Ephedra sinica and Ephedra equisetina, also known as mahuang and herbal ecstasy. Ephedra comes from the dried rhizome and root of the plant. The main active ingredients in ephedra are ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which account for the medicinal properties of the herb. Both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are central […]
- Ephelides
Ephelides: The plural of ephelis, a type of freckle. Ephelis and ephelides are among the many medical terms that are rarely, if ever, encountered outside of medicine.
- Ephelis
Ephelis: A form of freckle. A flat red or light-brown spot on the skin that typically appears during the sunny months and fades in the winter. They are most often found in people with light complexions and in some families, they are an hereditary (genetic) trait. The regular use of sunscreen during times of sun […]