Article in Japanese

A retrospective study of pathogens associated with acute encephalopathy in children

Hideo OKUNO¹⁾, Kiyoko AMO¹⁾, Takeshi INOUE²⁾, Jyunichi ISHIKAWA¹⁾, Masao TOGAWA¹⁾, Masashi SHIOMI³⁾, Atushi KAIDA⁴⁾

This retrospective study aimed to analyze acute encephalopathy in 93 children who were admitted to Osaka City General Hospital between January 1999 and December 2010. Of these children, 41 (44.1%) were found to have acute encephalopathy with febrile convulsive status epilepticus (AEFCSE), and 26 (28.0%) had hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndromes (HSES). Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV6) was the most common pathogen causing preceding infection (13 cases, 31.7%), followed by influenza virus (9 cases, 22.0%). Among the children with HSES, only 3 cases (11.5%) had preceding infections caused by HHV6 and influenza virus, as compared with the AEFCSE cases, in which most infections in children with HSES were due to other pathogens. Infections preceding acute encephalopathy are most commonly due to HHV6 and influenza virus. However, other pathogens, such as human parainfluenzavirus, human metapneumovirus, and human bocavirus, were identified by multiplex real-time PCR using nasal swabs. In conclusion, HHV6 and influenza virus are the pathogens most commonly associated with acute encephalopathy. However, acute encephalopathy can also be caused by other viruses. Hence, further studies at the national level are necessary in order to identify the pathogens associated with acute encephalopathy and understand its pathology.

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1) Department of Pediatric Emergency, Osaka City General Hospital
2) Department of Pediatric Neurology, Osaka City General Hospital
3) Department of Pediatrics, Aizenbashi Hospital
4) Osaka City Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences, Microbiology

Key words
Received	June 10, 2013
Accepted	January 29, 2014

26 (1)：41─47,2014