Background & Significance : The neurological manifestations associated with Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) infection includes meningoencephalitis, GuillainBarre syndrome (GBS), Bell´s palsy, myelopathy, and radiculopathy. To the best of our knowledge, the neurological manifestation associated with EBV infection has never been reported in Korea.
Cases & Results : We have found five patients (3 men, 2 women, mean age 28.4 years ; range 23-42) with EBV-associated neurological illness between August 1994 and July 1995. Serum enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests for anti-early antigen (EA) IgM and anti-Epstein Barr nucleic acid (EBNA) IgG was positive in all patients, suggestive of reactivated EBV reaction. They showed a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations : 2 meningoecnephalomyelitis, 1 meningoencephalitis and cervical radiculopathy, 1 meningoencephalitis, and 1 GBS. T2-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging studies showed high signal intensity lesions in three of the four patients who had meningoencephalitis. Outcomes were excellent in all but one patient.
Conclusions : We present five patients with a wide spectrum of neurological manifestations associated with EBV infection. We suggest that one should suspect the EBV infection in a variety of neurological diseases of uncertain etiology.
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