Acute necrotizing encephalopathy associated with enterovirus infection.

Abstract

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy is a rare, clinically distinct entity of acute encephalopathy triggered by acute febrile diseases, mostly viral infections. It is postulated to arise from uncontrolled cytokine release during a febrile illness, and is most often seen in East Asia. We describe a rare Saudi patient of acute necrotizing encephalopathy attributable to enterovirus in a 4 years and 6 months old girl. A work-up revealed elevations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. The outcome on intravenous pulse methylprednisolone was good. This case is the first, to the best of our knowledge, of acute necrotizing encephalopathy reported from Saudi Arabia with a good outcome despite severe magnetic resonance imaging findings and delay in the steroid treatment.

• Authors: Brahim Tabarki, Farah Thabet, Shatha Al Shafi, Nawal Al Adwani, May Chehab, Saad Al Shahwan
• Journal: Brain & development (Brain Dev) Vol. 35 Issue 5 Pg. 454-7 (May 2013) ISSN: 1872-7131 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 22832063 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Child, Preschool
• Enterovirus Infections (complications, diagnosis)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Leukoencephalitis, Acute Hemorrhagic (complications, diagnosis)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging