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Pediatric Enterovirus Encephalitis: Clinical, Neuroimaging, and Prognostic Insights From a Single-Center Study in the

Mohamed E Elkafafi1, Ahmed Ghorab2, Yaser Ali1

  • 1Pediatric Intensive Care, Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, ARE.

Cureus
|June 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric enteroviral encephalitis is rare but can cause severe issues. Early neuroimaging may aid clinical decisions, though most children recover with supportive care alone.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Enteroviral encephalitis in children is a rare condition with potential for severe neurological complications.
  • This study focuses on pediatric cases at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, to describe clinical, neuroimaging, and laboratory features.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the clinical, neuroimaging, and laboratory features of pediatric enteroviral encephalitis.
  • To explore associations between clinical findings, laboratory results, neuroimaging, and patient outcomes in a hypothesis-generating manner.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective descriptive case series of nine pediatric patients with enteroviral encephalitis confirmed by CSF PCR.
  • Exclusion of other etiologies based on predefined criteria.

Main Results:

  • The median age was five years, with a male predominance. Common symptoms included fever, vomiting, headache, and neck stiffness.
  • Neuroimaging abnormalities were associated with prolonged PICU stays and adverse outcomes (exploratory finding).
  • Eight of nine patients achieved full neurological recovery with supportive care; one patient with ALERD on MRI experienced severe outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Early neuroimaging may play a role in clinical decision-making for pediatric enteroviral encephalitis.
  • The study provides region-specific data from the UAE, highlighting the need for prospective multicenter studies for validation.

Keywords:
acute leukoencephalopathy with restricted diffusion (alerd)central nervous system infectionscerebrospinal fluidencephalitismiddle eastneuroimagingneurologic manifestationspediatricspolymerase chain reactionsupportive care

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