nervous systems

• Encephalitis

  Inflammation involving the brain parenchyma
• Encephalomyelitis

  Inflammation or infection involving the brain and spinal cord
• Meningitis


  Inflammation or infection involving the leptomeninges (pia mater and arachnoid mater)
• Meningoencephalitis


  Inflammation involving the brain and meninges
• Myelitis

  Inflammation of the spinal cord
• Clostridium Tetani


  Gram positive spore-forming rod that causes "tetanus" which is a medical emergency and cause severe tightening of muscles all over the body and can cause locking of the jaw making the mouth impossible to open
• Acute bacterial meningitis


  Suppurative infection of the meninges and subarachnoid space with associated inflammation of CNS, manifested by the classic triad of fever, headache and nuchal rigidity
• Acute bacterial meningitis

  • Positive Kernig's and Brudzinski sign can be elicited
  • In infants, symptoms may present non-specific and may include irritability, restlessness, or poor-feeding
  • In infants, physical examination findings is bulging anterior fontanelle
• Neisseria Meningitidis


  Also known as meningococcus; transient flora of nasopharynx, will enter the bloodstream causing bacteremia and go into meninges causes meningitis, kidney bean shaped or coffee bean shaped
• Meningococcemia


  • Overwhelming sepsis, with or without meningitis is a life threatening infection
  • Thrombosis of small blood vessels and multi-organ involvement are characteristics
  • Petechiae or purulent skin lesions over the trunk and lower extremities is a sign of meningococcal infection
  • The disease may progress to massive disseminated intravascular coagulopathy w/ destruction of adrenal glands called "Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome"
• Listeria monocytogenes

  Bacteria are "cold loving", capable of growth at 1C nut also capable at 45C in high salt concentration, in newborns, May present early onset of listeriosis or late listeriosis acquired during or after delivery, severe form of ealy-onset listeriosis, which present granuloma and abscess formation in several glands is "granulomatosis infantiseptica", late infections present as meningitis or a combination of meningitis and encephalitis with septicaemia
• Granulomatous Meningitis


  Characterized by the formation of granulomas, chronic type of meningitis, characterized by relapses and remissions
• Tuberculous meningitis


  Commonly affects children younger than 6 years old, and rarely seen in less than 4 months of age, it usually appears 3-6 months after initial infection and Accompanies military tuberculosis, unrelenting headache, stiff neck, fever are characteristics
• Fungal Meningitis

  C. neoformans and C. gatti common cause, C. neoformans - yeast, common saprophyte in the soil
• Tetanus

  Caused by clostridium tetani, spore is located at the end of bacilli giving "drumstick" or "tennis-racket" appearance, general tetanus manifests "trismus or lockjaw", Risus sardonic (sardonic smile due to contraction of facial muscle), tetanus neonatorum - tetanus in the newborn
• Botulism

  Clostridium botulinum, bacteria produces seven toxin called "botulinum toxin" that prevents the release of neurotransmitter acetylcholine leading to "Flaccid paralysis", classical or foodborne botulism - associated with improperly canned and cooked, as well as smokes fished, infant botulism - associated with ingestion of unpasteurized honey, infants experienced flaccid paralysis, seen as loss of muscle tone "floppy baby"
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)


  Also known as crib death
• Leprosy (Hansen's Disease)

  Mycobacterium leprae formerly known as Hansen's bacillus, affects both the skin and peripheral nerves, two form: tuberculoid or lepromatous leprosy, skin lesion may present as hypopigmented, anesthetic macular lesions about 1-10 cm in diameter or discrete erythematous, infiltrated nodules 1-5 cm in diameter, if infections remain untreated, it will progress to nerve filtration, trophic ulcer, anesthesia (focal or diffuse), bone resorption that may result to "saddle nose" deformity and leonine facies
• Poliomyelitis


  Pirconaviridae, inapparent, asymptomatic infection - accounts for 90% of polio cases and confined to the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract, abortive poliomyelitis - referred as minor illness, non-paralytic poliomyelitis - major illness later manifests w/ back pain and stiff neck, paralytic poliomyelitis - referred as major illness,presenting minor illness later developing asymmetric flaccid paralysis without sensory loss, bulbar poliomyelitis involves muscles of the vocal cords, pharynx and respiratory muscle, post-poliomyelitis occurs years after and involves previously affected muscle, showing masked deterioration of the residual function of the muscle, vaccine is live attenuated polio vaccine (OPV or sabin vaccine) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV or salk vaccine)
• Rabies

  Disease involving warm-blooded animals, the virus replicates initially at the site of the bite, travels along peripheral nerves, reaches the CNS and is shed through saliva, from peripheral nerves, the virus gain access to the spinal cord,followed by rapid infection of the brain, some rabies, may present as paralytic polio with flaccid paralysis, human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV) for individuals at risk including veterinarian, animal handlers, and laboratory workers
• Japanese B Encephalitis

  Common infection in the far east, Flavivirus and mosquito (culex mosquito), common hosts are pigs and birds, the infections presents with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches with manifestations of encephalitis