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Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms after pediatric herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis: An exploratory case
Patrick Galland1, Frank Fischer1, Berenike Steven1
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Hospital Auf der Bult Hannover, Germany.
Aim:
To exploratively describe long-term psychiatric and behavioral symptoms in pediatric survivors of herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis.
Methods:
In this retrospective descriptive case series conducted at two tertiary pediatric centers, admissions from 2000 to 2022 were screened for confirmed herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis. Eight families completed validated parentand self-report questionnaires assessing emotional and behavioral symptoms. Analyses were descriptive.
Results:
Mean age at disease onset was 5.4 years, and mean age at follow-up was 13.1 years. Seven of eight children exhibited persistent neurological sequelae. Clinically elevated emotional or behavioral symptoms were observed in a subset of children, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, and attention problems.
Conclusions:
Some pediatric survivors exhibited clinically relevant emotional and behavioral symptoms years after the acute illness. Although no conclusions regarding prevalence or disease-specific risk can be drawn, the findings underscore the importance of clinical awareness and mental health screening as part of long-term follow-up care.
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