Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion in children


YILDIZ A. E., MARAŞ GENÇ H., Gurkas E., Unlu H. A., ÖNCEL İ. H., Guven A.

DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY, vol.24, no.2, pp.108-112, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 24 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Journal Name: DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.108-112
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: No

Abstract

PURPOSE We aimed to present clinical and radiologic characteristics of mild encephalitls/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) in children. METHODS Eight children (5 boys and 3 girls; median age, 5.9 years; age range, 8 months to 14,1 years) diagnosed with MERS between September 2015 and June 2017 were included in the study. We reviewed the patient's data, including demographic characteristics, prodromal and neurologic symptoms, neurologic examination, magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography findings, laboratory findings, treatment, and prognosis. RESULTS Prodromal symptoms were nausea and vomiting (n=6), diarrhea (n=6), and fever (n=3). Initial neurologic symptoms were seizures (n=4), delirious behavior (n=1), drowsiness (n=1), ataxia (n=l), transient blindness (n=2), abnormal speech (n=2), and headache (n=1).Two patients had a suspected infective agent: urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coil and gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus. Seven patients had type I lesions, comprising characteristic symmetric ovoid (n=6) and band-shaped (n=l)T2-weighted hyperintense lesions at the spenium of corpus callosum, and one patient had type II lesion with additional symmetric posterior periventricular lesions. The lesions were isointense to mildly hypointense on T1-weighted imaging and did not show enhancement. All lesions displayed restricted diffusion. In all patients, neurologic symptoms completely normalized <48 hours from the onset of symptoms without any sequelae. CONCLUSION MERS has characteristic imaging features and favorable outcome.