Encephalitis
How is the condition diagnosed?
Diagnosis of encephalitis begins with a medical history and
physical examination. A spinal tap may be done to obtain a sample of the
fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. The doctor may
order other tests, including:
antibody titer blood tests
to detect antibodies to certain organisms
blood cultures to
detect organisms in the blood
cranial CT scan
cranial MRI
electroencephalogram, also called EEG,
which shows brain waves
polymerase chain reaction, a blood test that identifies organisms by their
genes
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