AlQasim E, Alawfi A, Hamad A, Alghamdi F, Albaradi BA. Human Herpesvirus-6 Encephalitis Associated With Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy in an Immunocompetent Child: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Cureus 2023;
15:e39897. [PMID:
37404398 PMCID:
PMC10316458 DOI:
10.7759/cureus.39897]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) is a DNA virus considered a member of the Herpesviridae family. HHV-6 is acquired early in life, when it may cause roseola infantum and nonspecific febrile illnesses which is usually a self-limiting disease before the age of two. Primary HHV-6 encephalitis and acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) are rare diseases to occur in immunocompetent children. We describe an unusual case of HHV-6 encephalitis with mixed features of acute necrotizing encephalopathy and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and contextualize it with a review of the literature on HHV-6 encephalitis in immunocompetent children. Although the incidence of primary HHV-6 encephalitis is rare in immunocompetent children, HHV-6 encephalitis associated with acute necrotizing encephalopathy is a devastating disease, highly fatal and neurologically damaging disease. Therefore, early testing and diagnosis are crucial as well as effective management of encephalitis with antiviral therapy is highly recommended.
Collapse