POSTINFECTIOUS ENCEPHALOPATHY WITH BASAL GANGLIA NECROSIS ASSOCIATED WITH MYCOPLASMA-PNEUMONIAE INFECTION

Background. - Acute bilateral striatal necrosis complicating the cours e of a post-infectious encephalitis is rare. Case report. - A previous ly healthy 5-year-old boy presented with an atypical pneumonia; he rap idly developed encephalitis revealed by a generalized status epileptic us. After transient improvement, he became confused and mutic, with dy stonic postures of his limbs. Painful stimulation resulted in prolonge d facial grimacing and doleful cry. CT scan and MRI showed abnormal si gnals in the whole basal ganglia, typical of bilateral striatal necros is. Serologic tests for Mycoplasma pneumoniae were positive The child recovered almost completely. Conclusion. - A parainfectious process is probably responsible for the transient bilateral striatal necrosis se en in this patient who had Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection several day s before the onset of neurologic symptoms. MRI seemed more reliable th an CT-scan for the diagnosis of this condition.