Fatal acute meningoencephalitis due to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Although lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus usually produces a benign aseptic meningitis and rarely causes death, a fatal case of acute meningoencephalitis due to LCM occurred in a 19 year old girl. The principal histologic manifestations were lymphocytic and monocytic infiltrates in the meninges and Virchow-Robin spaces and focal inflammatory nodules in the pons and medulla. The virus was isolated from the patient’s brain and complement-fixing and neutralizing antibodies were detected in the serum. Immunofluorescence studies showed viral antigen in the meninges and in the cytoplasm of the cerebral neurons.