A case series of multiple sclerosis-like persistent inflammatory activity and encephalitis in the brain of hepatitis B vaccinees. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Encephalitis after hepatitis B vaccination: recurrent disseminated encephalitis or MS?
Neurology. 1999 Jul 22 ;53(2):396-401. PMID: 10430433
A Tourbah
OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical and MRI features of patients with a disease suggestive of CNS inflammation after hepatitis B vaccination.
METHODS: Eight patients with confirmed CNS inflammation occurring less than 10 weeks after hepatitis B vaccination are described. They received follow-up clinically and on MRI for a mean period of 18 months.
RESULTS: Clinical and MRI findings were compatible with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. However, clinical follow-up, repeated MRI, or both showed the persistence of inflammatory activity, which makes this encephalitis more suggestive of MS than of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.
CONCLUSION: The persistent inflammatory activity observed clinically and on MRI in these patients is comparable with that usually observed in MS. Epidemiologic studies are currently testing the hypothesis of a triggering role of hepatitis B vaccination in CNS demyelination.