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Encephalitis Table

Reference list includes:

Disease	Similarities	Differentials
Meningitis	Classic triad of fever, nuchal rigidity, and altered mental status	Photophobia, phonophobia, rash associated with meningococcemia, concomitant sinusitis or otitis, swelling of the fontanelle in infants (0-6 months)
Brain abscess	Fever, headache, hemiparesis	Varies depending on the location of the abscess; clinically, visual disturbance including papilledema, decreased sensation; on imaging, a lesion demonstrates both ring enhancement and central restricted diffusion
Demyelinating diseases	Ataxia, lethargy	*Multiple sclerosis: clinically, nystagmus, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, Lhermitte's sign; on imaging, well-demarcated ovoid lesions with possible T1 hypointensities (“black holes”) Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: ; on imaging, diffuse or multi-lesion enhancement, with indistinct lesion borders
Substance abuse	Tremor, headache, altered mental status	Varies depending on type of substance: prior history, drug-seeking behavior, attention-seeking behavior, paranoia, sudden panic, anxiety, hallucinations
Electrolyte disturbance	Fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle weakness	Varies depending on deficient ions; clinically, edema, constipation, hallucinations; on EKG, abnormalities in T wave, P wave, QRS complex; possible presentations include arrhythmia, dehydration, renal failure
Stroke	Numbness, ataxia, aphasia	Varies depending on classification of stroke; presents with positional vertigo, high blood pressure, extremity weakness
Intracranial hemorrhage		Lobar hemorrhage, numbness, tingling, hypertension, hemorrhagic diathesis
Trauma		Amnesia, loss of consciousness, dizziness, concussion, contusion