A Rare Case of Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy of Childhood: A Case Report

Cureus. 2024 Mar 8;16(3):e55780. doi: 10.7759/cureus.55780. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC) is a severe neurological disorder characterized by rapid-onset encephalopathy, often associated with viral infections. Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood is associated with a very high mortality rate, and survivors may face long-term neurological sequelae. Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood needs to be differentiated from its closest differential diagnosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). Most of the patients with ADEM recover, with a few of them having residual neurological deficits. We present a case of an eight-year-old boy with an acute history of fever, febrile seizures, and drowsiness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a symmetric tricolor appearance of bilateral thalamic lesions, characteristic of ANEC.

Keywords: acute necrotizing encephalopathy; acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood; dengue complication; neuroradiology; paediatric neurology; para-infectious condition.

Publication types

  • Case Reports