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Transient encephalopathy with reversible white matter lesions in children

A Okumura1, E Noda, T Ikuta

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. okumura@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Neuropediatrics
|September 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Two children with mild acute encephalopathy showed reversible white matter lesions on MRI. Neurological symptoms and brain imaging abnormalities resolved within one week, highlighting a unique patient group.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Acute encephalopathy in children can present with diverse neurological symptoms and imaging findings.
  • Understanding the spectrum of white matter abnormalities is crucial for diagnosis and prognosis.

Observation:

  • Two pediatric patients presented with mild acute encephalopathy.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed characteristic white matter signal changes.

Findings:

  • High signal intensities on T2-weighted imaging and restricted diffusion were observed in the centrum semiovale and corpus callosum.
  • These MRI findings and neurological symptoms were completely reversible within one week.

Implications:

  • This case series identifies a distinct subgroup of childhood acute encephalopathy with reversible white matter lesions.
  • The findings suggest a favorable prognosis for patients with this specific MRI pattern.

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