Influenza A-associated encephalopathy with bilateral thalamic necrosis in Japan

Two cases of acute encephalopathy in young children clearly showed evidence of influenza A virus infection and bilateral thalamic lesions. Influenza-a ssociated encephalopathy with bilateral thalamic lesions has mostly been re ported in Japan; it differs from Reye's syndrome in several respects. Other factors in addition to influenza virus infection may have contributed to t he etiology of encephalopathy in our case patients.