Neuronophagia is seen in –
**Core Concept**
Neuronophagia refers to the process of phagocytosis of neurons by microglial cells, which is a hallmark of viral infections that cause neuronal damage and inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). This phenomenon is often associated with viral infections that lead to demyelination and neuronal destruction.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Poliomyelitis, caused by the poliovirus, is a classic example of a viral infection that leads to neuronophagia. The poliovirus infects motor neurons, leading to their destruction and subsequent phagocytosis by microglial cells. This results in inflammation and damage to the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. The presence of neuronophagia is a characteristic feature of poliomyelitis, making it a key diagnostic feature of this disease.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Amoebic encephalitis is caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which primarily leads to destruction of the brain tissue by causing necrotic lesions, rather than neuronophagia. **Option C:** Tubercular meningoencephalitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the meninges and brain tissue, but it does not typically lead to neuronophagia. **Option D:** Cerebral malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum and leads to inflammation and sequestration of infected red blood cells in the brain, but it does not typically cause neuronophagia.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Neuronophagia is a key feature of viral infections that cause neuronal damage and inflammation in the CNS. This phenomenon is often associated with diseases that lead to demyelination and neuronal destruction, such as poliomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, and viral encephalitis.
**β Correct Answer: B. Poliomyelitis**