[Acute myelitis of an unusual cause in a child: the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus].
Acute transverse myelitis is a rare disorder in childhood. It usually occurs as a post-infectious disease, but a precise infectious agent is identified in only 20% of cases.


METHODS
The diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis was made in a 5.5-year-old girl who initially presented with left Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome and meningitis. A few days later, motor and sensory tetraparesia with bladder dysfunction was observed. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a diffuse lesion in the medulla, with a hypersignal in the T2 and a hyposignal in the T1 sequences. Serum analysis showed the presence of a viral infection due to the lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus. The outcome was marked by complete recovery of the sensorimotor deficit, but a persistence of the left Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
In rare cases, the LCM virus is responsible for myelitis. In the present case, the Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome was secondary to the cervico-medullary lesion. Recent reports in the literature have been discussed, in particular as regards the use of immunomodulatory therapy, which clearly improves patient prognosis.
Service de neuropédiatrie, centre hospitalier universitaire Saint-Eloi, avenue Bertin-Sans, 34295 Montpellier, France.
V
V
Humbertclaude
S
S
Tourtet
M
M
Semprino
A
A
Roubertie
F
F
Rivier
N
N
Leboucq
J
J
Astruc
B
B
Echenne
D000208:Acute Disease; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000821:virology; D006261:Headache / Q000821:virology; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000821:virology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000821:virology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D008775:Methylprednisolone