Clinical features of SARS-CoV-2-associated encephalitis and meningitis amid COVID-19 pandemic

Table 4 Auxiliary examination of the 32 coronavirus disease-19 patients with encephalitis/meningitis

Characteristic	Value (n = 32)
Subtype, n (%)
Encephalitis	19 (59.36)
Meningitis	5 (15.63)
Meningoencephalitis	5 (15.63)
Encephalomyelitis	2 (6.25)
Rhombencephalitis	1 (3.13)
Myelitis	1 (3.13)
Primary target identified by neuroimaging, n (%)
Temporal lobe	5 (15.63)
White matter	4 (12.5)
Corpus callosum	3 (9.38)
Frontal lobe	3 (9.38)
Cervical spinal cord	3 (9.38)
Thalami	3 (9.38)
Cortical	2 (6.25)
Limbic lobe	1 (3.13)
Brain stem	1 (3.13)
Upper pons	1 (3.13)
Hippocampus	1 (3.13)
Insular lobe	1 (3.13)
Lateral ventricle	1 (3.13)
Leptomeningeal	1 (3.13)
Pontine	1 (3.13)
Right cerebral hemisphere	1 (3.13)
Supratentorial	1 (3.13)
Chest radiogram, n (%)
Negative/total	4/22 (18.18)
Positive/total	18/22 (81.82)
Not available/total	8/30 (26.67)
Blood test, n (%)
WBC count (low/normal)	6/21 (28.57)
WBC count (high)	10/21 (47.62)
Lymphopenia (low)	4/21 (19.05)
CRP (high)	14/21 (66.67)
D-dimer (high)	12/21 (57.14)
Ferritin (high)	8/21 (38.1)
IL-6 (high)	1/21 (4.76)
procalcitonin (high)	1/21 (4.76)
ANA (positive)	1/21 (4.76)
N/A	11 (3.13)
Results of CSF analysis, n (%)
Increased pressure /total	2/5 (40)
Increased protein level /total	13/22 (59.09)
Increased white-cell count level/total	9/23 (39.13)
Ab anti NMDAR (positive), n (%)	1 (3.13)
Oligoclonal band test (positive), n (%)	1 (3.13)
Neuroimaging, n (%)
Negative/total	12/31 (38.71)
Positive/total	19/31 (61.29)
Not available	1 (3.13)
Results of EEG, n (%)
Diffuse slow wave/total	8/10 (80)
Focal epileptic wave/total	2/10 (20)
Generalized delta activity/total	1/10 (20)
N/A	20 (62.5)
Treatment modality, n (%)
Antibiotics/total	22/28 (78.57)
Antiretroviral drug/total	14/28 (50)
Hydroxychloroquine/total	12/28 (42.86)
Corticoid/total	7/28 (25)
IVIg/total	6/28 (21.43)
Plasmapheresis treatment/total	6/28 (21.43)
Anticonvulsant medications/total	6/28 (21.43)
Surgery/total	1/28 (3.57)
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist/total	1/28 (3.57)
Traditional Chinese medicine/total	1/28 (3.57)
Not available/total	4/32 (12.5)
Outcome and prognosis, n (%)
Good	21/32 (65.63)
Poor	5/32 (15.64)
Dead	3/32 (9.38)
Not available	3/32 (9.38)

WBC: White blood cell; CRP: C-reactive protein; IL-6: Interleukin-6; CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid; EEG: Electroencephalography; IVIg: Intravenous immune globulin.