title: Clinical outcomes in children with herpes simplex encephalitis receiving steroid therapy.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Neurologic sequelae are common even after early initiation of acyclovir treatment. The host immune response during HSE can also lead to brain damage. There are an increasing number of reports favoring steroid use in HSE.
  
  
  
  We aimed to compare the prognosis of children with HSE with and without steroid therapy.
  
  
  
  We retrospectively screened our hospital archive from 2009 to 2014 for patients diagnosed with HSE with a positive result for herpes simplex virus polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid. Patients ≥1 month and ≤18 years at diagnosis were included in the study. Clinical outcomes in terms of cognitive function, motor function, electroencephalographic findings, seizure frequency, and radiologic findings were compared in patients who received adjuvant steroid therapy with those who did not.
  
  
  
  Six patients (1 boy, 5 girls; aged 4 months to 10 years) were included. Overall symptom duration before hospital admission was ≤5days. Patients received acyclovir treatment for 21-28days. Three received steroid therapy early during the disease and three patients did not. No adverse effects related to steroids were observed. Follow-up duration was 6 months to 5 years. All patients had radiologic sequelae of encephalitis. Cognition, motor function, and seizure control were better in patients who received steroid therapy.
  
  
  
  Adjuvant steroid therapy seems to be effective in decreasing morbidity in children with HSE but the radiologic sequelae were the same in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey. Electronic address: hulyamaras@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hülya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maraş Genç
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emek
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uyur Yalçın
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory PCR Unit, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey; Research Center of Experimental Health Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Northern Cyprus, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayan
authors.affiliation: Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Öncel
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emin Sami
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Arısoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kara
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir
keywords: Children; Encephalitis; Herpes simplex virus; Outcome; Steroids