Steroid therapy in an infant with human herpesvirus 6 encephalopathy.
We describe a 10-month-old girl who developed convulsive status during febrile illness. Human herpesvirus 6 DNA was detected in both the serum and the cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction. Interleukin-6 was increased in the serum. The patient improved after a commencement of steroids pulse therapy. This case suggests that proinflammatory cytokines are responsible for the pathogenesis of the encephalopathy.
Enoki
Hideo
H
Department of Child Neurology, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, 2-12-12 Sumiyoshi, Hamamatsu 430-8558, Japan. enoki@sis.seirei.or.jp
Takeda
Sho
S
Matsubayashi
Rie
R
Matsubayashi
Tadashi
T
D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013256:Steroids