[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.
Humbertclaude
V
V
Service de neuropédiatrie, centre hospitalier universitaire Saint-Eloi, avenue Bertin-Sans, 34295 Montpellier, France.
Tourtet
S
S
Semprino
M
M
Roubertie
A
A
Rivier
F
F
Leboucq
N
N
Astruc
J
J
Echenne
B
B
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