Herpes simplex virus infection of the central nervous system presenting as a stroke: Case report and review of the literature

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is recognized as one of the common causes of meningoencephalitis in pediatric age group, though it rarely manifests as a stroke. We report a case involving an eight-year-old patient who exhibited right-sided weakness of the body. Neuroimaging revealed cortical infarction in the frontoparietal medial cortex. Subsequent cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed HSV as the etiology. The patient was treated with antiviral and, after experiencing clinical deterioration, corticosteroids were added. This combination therapy led to significant improvement, highlighting a potential benefit of corticosteroid use in conjunction with standard of care therapy.