title: Brainstem encephalitis following influenza vaccination: favorable response to steroid treatment.
abstract: We report a 44-year-old man presenting with left hemiparesis following influenza vaccination. The neuroimaging studies showed a large, contrast-enhancing brainstem lesion and multiple punctate lesions suggesting microhaemorrhages in both cerebral hemispheres. The patient showed a remarkable response to high dose steroid treatment. Detailed diagnostic studies failed to yield any results supporting inflammatory/demyelinating diseases, suggesting that influenza vaccination might have been associated with the clinical findings. Our case implies that vaccination might be related with a wide range of clinical syndromes, including brainstem encephalitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Haydarpasa Numune State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Türkoğlu
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tüzün
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010291:Paresis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D013256:Steroids