Clinical and Laboratory Findings of Benign Acute Childhood Myositis / 대한소아신경학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) is a rare condition, characterized by severe lower extremity pain and acute-onset reluctance to walk in children. This study evaluated the clinical course of and laboratory findings related to BACM. METHODS: Patients with gait disturbance who had visited the Department of Pediatrics, Chungnam National University Hospital between March 2010 and May 2010 and who had been diagnosed with BACM were enrolled. The patients' medical records were examined retrospectively, and the clinical and laboratory data were recorded. RESULTS: Seven patients (six boys and one girl) were enrolled. Their median age was 7.3 years old. Four patients had leucopenia and five had mild thrombocytopenia and six had elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels, or both. The median serum creatine phosphokinase level was 1,864 IU/L, (range 368-7,166 IU/L). All patients had elevated lactate dehydrogenase and no patients studied had any evidence of bacterial infections. Influenza B virus was detected in two patients. and all patients spontaneously recovered after one week. CONCLUSION: Self-limited BACM should be considered if acute gait disturbances with calf pain and elevated serum creatine phosphokinase levels are observed in otherwise healthy children with no neurological abnormalities.