[Diagnosis of neuroinfections in children]

Presents an overview of domestic and foreign sources on the diagnosis of neuroinfections in children of different etiologies based on epidemiological, physical, cerebrospinal fluid, etiological, radiation and other methods. Their combination makes it possible to establish the syndrome of neuroinfection (meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, polyradioloneuritis, etc.), the severity, the presence of complications, the nature of the course, etiology. Cytological and biochemical examination of CSF is still of great importance in diagnosis. To establish the etiology, both well-known methods (microbiological, serological, immunocytochemical) and molecular genetic methods, including PCR and next-generation sequencing, are used. Radiation methods, especially MRI with the use of modern programs, are also important in the diagnosis of neuroinfections. Using the example of diagnosing viral encephalitis in children, the need for an integrated approach to establish a probable, possible and reliable diagnosis is demonstrated, which ensures the earliest possible prescription of not only etiotropic, but also pathogenetic therapy using drugs with a multimodal mechanism of action, for example Cytoflavin, which helps improve the outcomes of neuroinfections.