[A case of brain stem encephalitis with complete recovery (Bickerstaff's encephalitis)]

A 17 year old high school boy experienced fever and diarrhea, which subsided within 4 days by appropriate medications. Six days later, however, he developed unsteadiness and limb spasm. On the morning of admission, he was found to have drowsiness, dysarthria, gait disturbance and involuntary jerks. When he was brought to the hospital, he was lethargic but could follow simple verbal commands. Frequent involuntary movements manifested by facial grimacings, limb spasms and twitchings with dystonic features were seen. Decorticate posturing was readily elicited by painful stimuli. There was no meningeal irritation sign or gross sensory impairment. The deep tendon reflexes were symmetrically exaggerated with bilateral Babinski signs. Bilateral lateral rectus muscle weakness was found together with mild ptosis and upward gaze limitation. Nystagmus was not present and the funduscopic examination was normal. Immediately he was placed on anticonvulsants, steroid hormone, gamma-globulin and antibiotics as well. A brain CT scan and a CSF examination revealed no abnormality. Meanwhile he continued to show a progressive deterioration associated with fever and status epilepticus, and within 24 hours he lapsed into coma in decorticate posture. An EEG obtained at the 3rd hospital day was compatible with spindle coma. In spite of aggressive treatment he remained febrile and comatous. Therefore, vidarabine (adenine arabinoside) was initiated from the 3rd hospital day for 5 days. Then he began to groan and show frequent choreic movements. For the subsequent 2 weeks he made a slow recovery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)