Encephalitis in children: Clinical, etiological, and topical characteristics

Abstract

Childhood encephahtis is as high as 19—20% in the structure of morbidity of neuroinfections and a high risk for neurological deficit. The study was undertaken to delineate the clinical, etiological, and topical characteristics of encephahtis in children from the 10-year data of the Research Institute of Childhood Infections. The clinical presentation, etiology, and magnetic resonance imaging results were analyzed in 302 children aged from 1 month to 18 years with encephahtis. The pattern of encephalitides was ascertained to present as leukoencephalitis (75%), polioencephalitis (17%), and panencephahtis (8%). Viral encephahtis was found in 76% of the children whereas bacterial encephahtis was seen in 8,7% and mainly associated with B. burgdorferi s.l. Leukoencephalitis was specified to be related to herpesvfruses, more commonly to its types 3, 4, and 6 in 78% of cases. In 82% of cases, the etiology of panencephahtis was associated with congenital viral infection, among which cytomegalia amounted to almost one third and polioencephalitis was caused by tick-borne encephahtis virus in 45% of cases. Leukoencephalitis was characterized by impaired sensitivity and cerebel-lar symptomatology with an outcome to recovery in 78% of cases. Polioencephalitis showed a preponderance of unconsciousness and convulsions whereas panencephahtis exhibited movement disorders and cognitive impairments with an outcome to cognitive or neurological deficit in 45—77% of cases. Thus, the topical characteristics of encephahtis in children determine its clinical presentation and depend on age and etiology. The established correlation between these parameters makes it possible to improve the early diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.