ABSTRACT
Human parvovirus B19 generally causes erythema infectiosum in childhood, but it can be associated with unusual findings, particularly in immunocompromised patients. This is a report about an immunocompetent 4-year-old female child affected with acute encephalitis by parvovirus B19, documented by polymerase chain reaction performed on cerebrospinal fluid, who was treated with intravenous immunoglobulins and dexamethasone and who developed a cerebellar syndrome with ataxia, dysmetria, and dysarthria. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this may be the first report of human parvovirus B19 encephalitis complicated by severe ataxia in childhood.
Subject(s)
Ataxia/virology , Cerebellar Ataxia/virology , Encephalitis, Viral/complications , Encephalitis, Viral/virology , Parvoviridae Infections/complications , Parvoviridae Infections/virology , Parvovirus B19, Human/immunology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Ataxia/physiopathology , Cerebellar Ataxia/physiopathology , Cerebellum/physiopathology , Cerebellum/virology , Child, Preschool , Dexamethasone/therapeutic use , Disease Progression , Encephalitis, Viral/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Occipital Lobe/pathology , Occipital Lobe/physiopathology , Occipital Lobe/virology , Parietal Lobe/pathology , Parietal Lobe/physiopathology , Parietal Lobe/virology , Parvoviridae Infections/drug therapy , Parvovirus B19, Human/drug effects , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/isolation & purification , Treatment FailureABSTRACT
Recurrent facial nerve palsy (RFNP) in childhood is usually considered to be a benign disorder. We report a 13-year-old female affected with RFNP in the absence of other neurologic signs, in which elevated serum IgG and IgM anti-GQ1b antibodies were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first example in the literature of RFNP, associated with anti-GQ1b IgG antibodies. The possible role of anti-GQ1b antibodies in isolated cranial neuropathy is discussed.
