Characteristic of cardiac and neurological forms of non-polio enterovirus infection

Abstract

Enterovirus infections (EVI) are ubiquitous and generally present with mild symptoms and have a favorable prognosis with full recovery. But sometimes it can be challenging to diagnose mixed forms of EVI which can result in fatal outcomes. An interesting case report on a patient admitted to the Grodno Regional infectious diseases clinical hospital. The patient was diagnosed with enteroviral infection. Histological slides of the brain, heart, lung and other systemic organs were prepared on autopsy and are presented in this scientific paper. Generalized EVI in mixed form can cause primary lesions of the brain (destructive edema), the heart (necrotizing cardiomyopathy), and sepsis while also affecting other organ systems. This can lead to unfavorable outcomes similar to that in our case report. Mixed form EVI (meningitis, myocarditis, and sepsis) can progress rapidly towards an adverse course, with the development of severe life-threatening complications. We strongly suggest that mandatory PCR screening for EVI should be carried out in young individuals with sepsis-like diseases and with a fever of unexplained origin at the time of presentation.