[Acute neurologic dysfunction associated with a hypodensity of the basal ganglia]

A previously healthy five years old boy, following a mild nonspecific upper respiratory infection developed, fever (39 degrees C), vomiting, clouding of consciousness and focal seizures. The CSF showed a mononuclear cell reaction with negative bacterial and viral cultures. A cranial CT scan on the 4th day of admission showed bilateral low density lesions on the basal ganglia region. After 30 days of severe involvement of muscle tone (rigidity) which kept the patient immobilized in bed and without a meaningful communication with his surroundings, improvement was noticed. A repeated CT scan 40 days after admission, was considered normal. Two months after the beginning of disease, patient's physical examination was normal. This case shows striking clinical and radiological similarities to the ones described by Aicardi and Goutieres in 1982 and most likely is explained by bilateral basal ganglia edema complicating viral encephalitis. Mumps virus, being so far, the most commonly implicated.