Zhengzhou People's Hospital recently reported that a patient named Truong, a restaurant owner in Shaanxi province, became brain dead a short period after small sores appeared at the corners of her mouth and were not treated promptly, Sina reported on 27/2.

According to The Paper, Truong initially experienced pain, burning, and cold sores around her mouth. Believing it was common "mouth ulcers" caused by dry weather, she self-applied anti-inflammatory ointment and continued working. However, her condition did not improve; the affected area became increasingly swollen and red, spreading to her entire cheek and causing numbness. When the lesions became severely swollen, accompanied by serious vomiting, her family rushed Truong to the emergency room.

Illustrative image: Thomson Medical

Tests revealed she was not suffering from a common fever but had herpes encephalitis. The seemingly harmless cold sores were caused by an infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). This virus subsequently invaded her central nervous system, causing severe brain edema and inflammation of the brain tissue. Due to severe damage leading to brain failure, doctors ultimately declared Truong brain dead, and her family requested to take her home.

Doctor Luu Linh Linh, working at Peking University First Hospital, explained that herpes simplex is a common infectious virus. HSV-mot, a strain of the virus, typically causes lesions on the face, brain, and upper body. Meanwhile, HSV-hai primarily causes diseases in the genital organs and lower body. The virus transmits through direct contact with infected skin, mucous membranes, respiratory droplets, or sexual contact. Once it enters the human body, the virus silently hides in nerve cells for life.

Doctor Ly Thien Cu, Head of the Dermatology Department at Zhengzhou People's Hospital, stated that current medicine uses antiviral drugs to suppress the pathogen. The virus often reactivates when the immune system is weakened, leading to skin herpes, keratitis, or, most dangerously, encephalitis. Severe encephalitis complications, like in patient Truong, are very rare. Typically, HSV cold sores resolve naturally in one to two weeks after the blisters rupture, ulcerate, and scab over, without causing serious systemic symptoms.

However, medical experts warn people not to neglect dangerous signs. Doctor Luu Linh Linh emphasized that if numerous blisters appear on the eyelids accompanied by swelling, pain, and conjunctival hyperemia, patients must seek medical attention immediately to prevent the risk of corneal perforation or blindness. Infants and immunocompromised individuals who develop cold sores or mouth ulcers with high fever also require urgent emergency care. Doctors will utilize the "golden time" to administer antiviral drugs and supportive therapies to prevent permanent brain damage.

Binh Minh (According to Sina, The Paper)