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Cerebral infarction in a child. A case report
L Tucciarone1, G Ballati, N Chiaramida
1Pediatric Clinic, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Pediatric cerebral infarction is rare, often without a clear cause. This case highlights varicella arteritis as a potential, though uncommon, cause of stroke in children.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Vascular Neurology
Background:
- Cerebral infarcts in children are uncommon, with etiology frequently remaining unknown.
- Cryptogenetic strokes present diagnostic challenges in pediatric populations.
Observation:
- A 9-year-old boy experienced sudden hemiplegia, facial palsy, dysarthria, and steppage.
- Neuroimaging confirmed cerebral infarction, with extensive testing excluding common causes.
Findings:
- Despite thorough investigation, no definitive cause for the cerebral infarction was identified.
- Varicella arteritis, occurring 45 days prior, emerged as the sole plausible etiopathogenetic hypothesis.
Implications:
- This case suggests varicella arteritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cryptogenetic pediatric cerebral infarction.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the link between varicella infection and pediatric stroke.
Abstract:
Cerebral infarcts in children are rather rare and in most cases no precise etiology is established. The authors describe a case of cryptogenetic cerebral infarction in a 9-year-old boy. The child presented an acute onset of hemiplegia in the right arm and leg, central facial palsy, dysarthria and steppage. The infarction was proved by Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Laboratory and instrumental studies rule out all known causes of brain infarction. The only possible etiopathogenetic hypothesis was a varicella arteritis which occurred 45 days before the clinical manifestation.