Encephalitis lethargica-like illness in a girl with mycoplasma infection

We describe a patient with mycoplasma infection and clinical manifestations of encephalitis lethargica. The patient was brought to our attention after acute neurologic deterioration followed by a prolonged sleep-like state and the emergence of extrapyramidal features. MRI of the brain disclosed a striking pattern of subcortical involvement by the inflammatory process, corroborating the clinical picture.