Childhood inflammatory brain diseases: pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy

Abstract

Inflammatory brain diseases (IBrainDs) are a leading cause of devastating neurological deficits or neuropsychiatric syndromes in previously healthy children. The spectrum is expanding rapidly and new disease entities have been discovered in the last decade. IBrainD can occur as a primary disease or may occur secondary to an underlying cause. This review focuses on the clinical presentation, diagnostic features, pathology and histology characteristics and treatment of the primary childhood IBrainDs.

Keywords: NMDA receptor encephalitis; Rasmussen encephalitis; childhood primary angiitis of the central nervous system; inflammatory brain disease; multiple sclerosis; neuromyelitis optica; neurosarcoidosis.