Chronological diffusion-weighted imaging changes and mutism in the course of rotavirus-associated acute cerebellitis/cerebellopathy concurrent with encephalitis/encephalopathy.
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis in children and is known to accompany some neurological disorders such as encephalitis/encephalopathy and seizures. Although cerebellar disorders sometime occur as a complication of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Japan, few reports have addressed these issues. Here, we report three cases of insulted cerebellums in addition to encephalitis/encephalopathy associated with rotavirus. Similar to posterior fossa syndrome after surgery, mutism was a notable symptom that lasted about 1 month. Brain diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed chronological changes, i.e., marked hyperintensity in the bilateral dentate nucleus followed by the vermis and cerebellar hemisphere. The bilateral dentate nucleus is known to be a key lesion site for mutism, and these clinical and radiological findings may be tightly connected in rotavirus-associated cerebellitis/cerebellopathy.
Department of Pediatrics, Anjo Kosei Hospital, Anjo-cho, Aichi, Japan. t-kubota@kosei.anjo.aichi.jp
Tetsuo
T
Kubota
Toshihiko
T
Suzuki
Yuma
Y
Kitase
Hiroyuki
H
Kidokoro
Yuji
Y
Miyajima
Akimasa
A
Ogawa
Jun
J
Natsume
Akihisa
A
Okumura
D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009155:Mutism / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology