title: Childhood rubella encephalitis: diagnosis, management, and outcome.
abstract: We to report clinical biological and radiologic features of rubella encephalitis in childhood and assess its prognostic impact. Our retrospective study was conducted in an intensive care unit of a university hospital in Sfax, Tunisia. Twenty-one children (age range, 1-15 years) were included. Median age was 9 years (lower and upper quartiles, 7-11 years). On admission, generalized maculopapular eruption was found in 17 cases (81%). Median Glasgow Coma Scale score was 7 (lower and upper quartiles, 7-8). Twenty patients (95.2%) experienced at least 1 episode of seizures. Sixteen patients (76.2%) developed a status epilepticus. The result for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detecting anti-rubella immunoglobulin (M) was positive in the serum and in the cerebrospinal fluid samples for all our patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was performed on admission for 3 patients (14.3%) and within a median of 4 days (lower and upper quartiles, 2-6 days) for 8 patients. The test was normal in 6 cases. Two deaths were recorded (9.5%). Survivors had no neurological sequelae 6 months after intensive care unit discharge.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Intensive Care, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaari
authors.forename: Mabrouk
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahloul
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berrajah
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Kahla
authors.forename: Nourhene
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gharbi
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karray
authors.forename: Mounir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouaziz
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012409:Rubella / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; C040901:rubella antibodies; D003907:Dexamethasone; D002439:Cefotaxime; D000212:Acyclovir