Neurologic Complications Caused by Epstein-Barr Virus in Pediatric Patients.
We retrospectively analyzed the medical documentation of 194 children infected with Epstein-Barr virus. The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms and the presence of the viral capsid antigen IgM antibody. Patients with severe neurologic complications also underwent neurologic examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electroencephalography (EEG). There were 2 peaks in incidence of infection; the first one in young children aged 1 to 5 years represented 62.0% of cases. The second peak (24.6% of patients) occurred in teenagers. Febrile seizures were confirmed in 3.1% of affected children younger than 5 years and headaches in 24.2% patients, mostly older children. Ten children presented severe, neurologic complications: meningoencephalitis, acute encephalitis, acute cerebellitis, transverse myelitis, and myeloradiculitis. Our study identified a variety of Epstein-Barr virus-related neurologic complications. Epstein-Barr virus should be routinely tested for when a child presents with an apparent neuroinfection as it is a common pathogen that can induce a wide variety of signs and symptoms.
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland katarzynam-m@wp.pl.
Katarzyna
K
Mazur-Melewska
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Iwona
I
Breńska
Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Katarzyna
K
Jończyk-Potoczna
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Paweł
P
Kemnitz
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland Department of Clinical Auxology and Pediatric Nursing, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Ilona
I
Pieczonka-Ruszkowska
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Anna
A
Mania
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Wojciech
W
Służewski
Department of Infectious Diseases and Child Neurology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Magdalena
M
Figlerowicz
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
Epstein-Barr virus; cerebellitis; children; encephalitis; infectious mononucleosis; myeloradiculitis