Final answer:
Encephalitis is an inflammation of brain tissues, typically caused by viral infections, leading to severe swelling in the brain. It differs from meningitis, which involves the meninges, and hepatitis, which affects the liver. Stroke is caused by a disruption of blood to the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to an inflammation of brain tissues is encephalitis. Encephalitis is a serious condition that is often caused by a viral infection, leading to swelling in the brain. This can result in the brain pushing against the skull and causing damage. Different types of viral encephalitis include eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, West Nile encephalitis, and Japanese encephalitis. In comparison, meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges (the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), and hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver.
A condition that causes a stroke is disruption of blood to the brain, not inflammation of meninges or infection of the cerebral spinal fluid, which are related to other disorders.
Encephalitis can be caused by infections or autoimmune conditions where the body’s own immune responses attack the brain. Even with extensive testing, the specific cause of encephalitis remains unknown in about 30%–40% of cases.
Cases of encephalitis are likely to continue to rise as more and more autoimmune causes are recognized. Emerging infections such as Zika, chikungunya and Powassan viruses can also contribute to this trend.