Benign acute childhood myositis in Kuwait

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) is an inflammatory myopathy affecting children.
• It often presents with calf muscle pain and weakness following a viral prodrome.
• This condition is characterized by elevated serum creatine kinase levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first ten cases of benign acute childhood myositis in a specific region.
• To describe the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and recovery patterns of these pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series analysis of ten children diagnosed with BACM.
• Clinical data collection including age, sex, symptoms, and duration of illness.
• Laboratory investigations included serum creatine kinase (CK), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and peripheral white blood cell counts.
• Virological studies were performed in a subset of patients.

Main Results:

• Ten children (7 boys, 3 girls; aged 4-10 years) were admitted with BACM.
• Symptoms included acute onset of symmetrical calf pain, tenderness, weakness, and inability to walk, occurring days after a flu-like illness.
• All patients showed elevated serum CK levels and normal ESR.
• Most patients had low peripheral white blood cell counts with relative lymphocytosis.
• Virological studies were negative in six children.
• Full clinical recovery occurred within 1-7 days, with one child experiencing a second episode.

Conclusions:

• BACM is a distinct clinical entity in children, characterized by transient muscle inflammation.
• The condition typically follows a viral infection and is associated with elevated CK.
• Prompt recognition and supportive care lead to full recovery in most cases.
• This report highlights the occurrence of BACM in a new geographical region.