Neurológia pre prax 3/2023

Central neurogenic hyperthermia

Fever is a common phenomenon within neurological intensive care units. Etiologically, it is most often an infectious cause, to a lesser extent, non-infectious causes come into consideration such as thromboembolism, medically induced condition, postoperative causes and, last but not least, central neurogenic hyperthermia. This is a diagnosis per exclusionem, which does not yet have standardized diagnostic criteria or treatment. Likewise, the pathomechanism of its formation is not fully clarified. The article deals with an overview of available data from the physiology of thermoregulation, lays out the presumed pathophysiological background of the given entity (with an emphasis on the issue from the neurologist’s point of view), mentions the symptoms and consequences of the disease, and finally gives a brief overview of treatment options, including off-label preparations.

Keywords: central neurogenic hyperthermia, stroke, hypothalamus, thermoregulation