Neurological features related to influenza virus in the pediatric population: a 3-year monocentric retrospective study

Conclusion: Various neurological manifestations can be associated with influenza virus. Certain entities led to a poor prognosis, but in most cases, symptoms improved within a few days. The severity of the neurological manifestations correlated with previous neurological or metabolic disorders.What is Known:• Influenza viruses are well known pathogens with a seasonal epidemic evolution, particularly affecting children. These viruses cause acute fever with respiratory symptoms, associated with myalgia and headaches. Neurological presentation in influenza‐virus infection is a well‐established possi bility as influenza virus is considered to be responsible for 27 to 36% of childhood encephalitis. Some specific and severe entity as acute necrotizing encephalitis, cytotoxic lesion of the corpus callosum, or Hemiconvulsion‐hemiplegia‐epilepsy syndrome are well described.What is New:• In a French monocentric cohort of 37 children with influenza‐related neurologic manifestations, the majority of these manifestations, including seizure, drowsiness, motor deficiency, hallucination… are self limiting and do not lead to after‐effects. In rare cases (4/37), they may reveal se vere encephalitis requiring rapid and appropriate treatment. Otherwise, comparison of a group of 14 children with underlying neurological or metabolic disorder with a group of 23 children free of any significant disorder show that the severity of the neurological manifestations was largely related t...
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research