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Published on: November 5, 2019
Acute cerebellitis following hemolytic streptococcal infection
Hiromasa Uchizono1, Tadashi Iwasa, Hidemi Toyoda
1Department of Pediatrics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu City, Japan.
Insights
Acute cerebellitis, a rare childhood inflammatory syndrome, can be triggered by group A streptococcal infections. This case highlights a potential post-infectious autoimmune reaction affecting the cerebellum.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Acute cerebellitis is a rare inflammatory condition in children.
- It can stem from infectious or autoimmune causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of acute cerebellitis following group A streptococcal infection.
- To highlight a potential post-infectious autoimmune mechanism.
Main Methods:
- Case description of a 7-year-old girl.
- Cerebellar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis for autoantibodies.
Main Results:
- MRI revealed diffuse cerebellar swelling, edema, and hydrocephalus.
- Autoantibodies against glutamate receptor δ2 were detected in CSF.
- This suggests an autoimmune response post-infection.
Conclusions:
- Group A streptococcal infection can lead to acute cerebellitis.
- This case expands the known infectious triggers for cerebellitis.
- Post-infectious autoimmune mechanisms are implicated.
Background:
Acute cerebellitis is a rare inflammatory syndrome in children, with either infectious or autoimmune etiologies.
Patient:
We describe a 7-year-old girl with a presentation of cerebellitis following group A streptococcal infection.
Results:
Magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse symmetrical swelling and edema of the cerebellum resulting in compression of the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus. Autoantibodies against glutamate receptor δ2 were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting that the cerebellum might be injured by postinfectious immunologic reaction. The most common causes of cerebellitis are acute viral infection, postinfection, and following vaccination. No examples of acute cerebellitis following group A streptococcal infection have been documented.
Conclusion:
Our report demonstrates that group A streptococcal can lead to acute cerebellitis.
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