[A clinical study on high-dose erythropoietin therapy for acute encephalopathy or encephalitis]

We performed high-dose erythropoietin therapy (hEPO) for acute encephalopathy or encephalitis (AE), and evaluated its safety and efficacy.

We performed hEPO in AE patients with widespread lesions demonstrated by diffusion-weighted imaging, and prospectively investigated changes in hemoglobin levels, adverse events, changes in images, and developmental quotients.

All four patients showed neither an increase in the hemoglobin level nor adverse event possibly related to hEPO. One patient with acute encephalitis showed resolution of the lesion and normal developmental quotient. Two patients who had acute encephalopathy with febrile convulsive status epilepticus showed mild cerebral atrophy in the recovery phase;one had a normal developmental quotient. The patient with acute necrotizing encephalopathy including a brainstem lesion avoided acute-phase death.

Two patients showed no sequelae despite images indicating widespread abnormality. hEPO could be performed safely in patients with AE, however further trials are necessary concerning its efficacy.