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Mollaret's meningitis due to human herpesvirus 6 in an adolescent

Jared D Capouya1, David M Berman, Juan A Dumois

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, FL 33731, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|October 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

This is the first pediatric Mollaret meningitis case in an adolescent with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) caused recurrent meningitis, successfully treated with foscarnet.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Mollaret meningitis is a rare, recurrent form of aseptic meningitis.
  • Recurrent meningitis in immunocompromised pediatric patients requires thorough investigation.

Observation:

  • An adolescent female with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission presented with recurrent meningitis symptoms over three months.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid analysis identified Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) during the final episode.

Findings:

  • The patient experienced three distinct meningitis episodes within a three-month timeframe.
  • Polymerase chain reaction confirmed HHV-6 as the causative agent in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Implications:

  • This case highlights HHV-6 as a potential cause of recurrent Mollaret meningitis in pediatric leukemia survivors.
  • Successful treatment with foscarnet suggests its efficacy in managing HHV-6-induced meningitis.
  • Early diagnosis and targeted antiviral therapy are crucial for favorable outcomes in such complex cases.

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