ABSTRACT
Although this volume is devoted to a consideration of various forms of encephalitis, it is important to remember that this is actually a group of very uncommon disorders. A reasonable starting point is to address the question from the perspective of the clinician confronted with a patient with altered neurologic function-when should encephalitis be considered in a particular patient’s differential diagnosis. Since, by definition, this disorder involves brain inflammation, the prerequisites for the diagnosis are that there be evidence both of inflammation and of brain involvement.
