Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition involving inflammation: Specifically, "encephalomeningitis" refers to the inflammation of both the brain (encephalo-) and the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (-meningitis). It is a serious neurological condition.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with encephalomeningitis after presenting with a severe headache and fever.
  • Viral encephalomeningitis can be a complication of certain infections.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical literature, clinical diagnoses, and scientific reports. It is a precise term combining "encephalitis" (brain inflammation) and "meningitis" (meningeal inflammation).
  • The study focused on the long-term outcomes of survivors of bacterial encephalomeningitis.

Variants and Related Words

• Meningoencephalitis (n): A synonymous term for the same condition, also meaning inflammation of the meninges and brain. The order of the word roots is different.
• Encephalitis (n): Inflammation of the brain.
• Meningitis (n): Inflammation of the meninges.

Synonyms

• Meningoencephalitis: The direct synonym in medical terminology.

Notes on Meaning

• This is a highly specialized medical term. In general conversation or less technical writing, the condition might be described more broadly as "a severe brain infection" or "inflammation of the brain and its lining." The term itself denotes a combination of two inflammatory processes.

Noun

1. inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and their meninges