encephalitis

/ɛnˌsɛfəˈlaɪtəs/

Other forms: encephalitides

Encephalitis is a condition that causes the brain to swell and become irritated or inflamed. Most cases of encephalitis result from a virus.

The term encephalitis comes from the Greek enkephalos, "brain," and the medical suffix -itis, used for diseases characterized by inflammation. Certain kinds of infections or disorders of the immune system can result in this inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis is quite rare, and though it's often so mild that it causes no symptoms, it can be serious.

Definitions of encephalitis

1. noun

   inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus; symptoms include headache and neck pain and drowsiness and nausea and fever (`phrenitis' is no longer in scientific use)
   synonyms: cephalitis, phrenitis

   types:

   acute hemorrhagic encephalitis

   encephalitis that resembles apoplexy due to blood extravasation

   equine encephalitis, equine encephalomyelitis

   encephalitis caused by a virus that is transmitted by a mosquito from an infected horse

   acute inclusion body encephalitis, herpes encephalitis, herpes simplex encephalitis

   common form of acute encephalitis caused by herpes simplex 1; usually affects the temporal and frontal lobes

   leukoencephalitis

   inflammation of the white matter of the brain

   cerebromeningitis, encephalomeningitis, meningoencephalitis

   inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and their meninges

   panencephalitis

   diffuse inflammation of the entire brain

   encephalitis lethargica, epidemic encephalitis, lethargic encephalitis, sleeping sickness, sleepy sickness

   an encephalitis that was epidemic between 1915 and 1926; symptoms include paralysis of the extrinsic eye muscle and extreme muscular weakness

   West Nile encephalitis

   encephalitis caused by the West Nile virus; can be fatal in humans and horses and birds

   Bosin's disease, Dawson's encephalitis, SSPE, Van Bogaert encephalitis, inclusion body encephalitis, sclerosing leukoencephalitis, subacute inclusion body encephalitis, subacute sclerosing leukoencephalitis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

   a rare chronic progressive encephalitis caused by the measles virus and occurring primarily in children and young adults; death usually occurs within three years; characterized by primary measles infection before the age of two years

   rubella panencephalitis

   a rare loss of mental and physical skills in adolescents; associated with the rubella virus

   type of:

   inflammation, redness, rubor

   a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat