Herpes simplex encephalitis presenting after steroid treatment of panuveitis.

A 62-year-old woman with an autoimmune disease presented with panuveitis and was treated with immune suppression. She subsequently developed herpetic acute retinal necrosis and later died of herpes simplex encephalitis. Acute retinal necrosis usually occurs months to years after herpes simplex encephalitis. In our case, the ocular findings were present for 5 weeks before the encephalitis presented. To our knowledge, this is the first Australian case of acute retinal necrosis preceding herpes simplex encephalitis.