ABSTRACT
Cerebral infarcts in children are rather rare and in most cases no precise etiology is established. The authors describe a case of cryptogenetic cerebral infarction in a 9-year-old boy. The child presented an acute onset of hemiplegia in the right arm and leg, central facial palsy, dysarthria and steppage. The infarction was proved by Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Laboratory and instrumental studies rule out all known causes of brain infarction. The only possible etiopathogenetic hypothesis was a varicella arteritis which occurred 45 days before the clinical manifestation.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Infarction/etiology , Arteritis/complications , Caudate Nucleus/blood supply , Caudate Nucleus/pathology , Cerebral Arterial Diseases/complications , Cerebral Arterial Diseases/diagnosis , Cerebral Infarction/diagnosis , Chickenpox/complications , Child , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Neurologic Examination , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
A case of glomerulonephritis as the initial clinical manifestation of SLE in a child is reported. Treatment with oral prednisone did not produce beneficial results either worth respect to the symptoms or the laboratory data. The association with intravenous Cyclophosphamide led to rapid improvement in clinical and serological patterns. Moreover this association has reduced the risk of end-stage renal failure with few serious complications, and no other side-effects.
