ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Severe central nervous system diseases, such as encephalitis, have been reported in association with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. CASE REPORT: A previously healthy 5-year-old boy presented with an atypical pneumonia; he rapidly developed encephalitis revealed by lethargy, generalized status epilepticus. MRI showed abnormal signals in the basal ganglia, typical of bilateral striatal necrosis. Serologic tests for M. pneumoniae were positive, the child recovered almost completely. CONCLUSION: M. pneumoniae infection should be considered in all cases of acute encephalopathy; yet the pathogenesis of the disorder is unknown and the treatment uncertain.
Subject(s)
Basal Ganglia Diseases/etiology , Meningoencephalitis/etiology , Mycoplasma pneumoniae , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use , Basal Ganglia Diseases/pathology , Brain/pathology , Child, Preschool , Corpus Striatum/pathology , Electroencephalography , Erythromycin/therapeutic use , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Meningoencephalitis/microbiology , Meningoencephalitis/pathology , Necrosis , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/pathology , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Status Epilepticus/etiology , Thorax/pathologyABSTRACT
Granulocytic sarcoma is a tumor composed of proliferating myeloblastic cells, generally found in the orbit. A brain localization is rare. We report the case of a 11-year-old boy treated in our unit for acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML 4 Eo. FAB). After 21 months of complete remission, he developed headache and facial palsy. The CT scan visualized the presence of two frontal and occipital masses. The spinal tap revealed blastic cells in the CSF. The study of the bone morrow showed medullar relapse. A new medullar and cerebro-meningeal remission was obtained with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. CSF and the bone marrow studies can help avoid stereotaxic biopsy can be avoided in this type of tumor
