Acute encephalomyelitis: extending the neurological manifestations of acute rheumatic fever?
The clinical course of a five-year-old boy who developed meningeal irritation, encephalomyelitis, and optic neuritis four weeks after Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis is detailed. The patient responded to therapy with corticosteroids and recovered fully. Review of the literature reveals that a wide range of neurological disorders have been described in association with rheumatic fever. We suggest that disseminated encephalomyelitis in this child most probably was related to the streptococcal infection and that the spectrum of post-infectious neurological disorders associated with Streptococcus pyogenes may be broader than is currently appreciated.
Munn
R
R
Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Farrell
K
K
Cimolai
N
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002648:Child; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013301:Streptolysins; C025964:streptolysin O