Korean J Pediatr.  2008 May;51(5):533-537. 10.3345/kjp.2008.51.5.533.

Two cases of central nervous system complications caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

• Kim SM
• Heo JS
• Shim EJ
• Lee DH
• Cho DJ
• Kim DH
• Min KS
• Yoo KY

• KMID: 2280462
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2008.51.5.533

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection causes a wide variety of clinical manifestations in children and young adults, the main one being pneumonia. M. pneumoniae is transmitted from person to person by infected respiratory droplets. Symptoms caused by M. pneumoniae infection can be divided into those involving the respiratory tract, and those caused by extrapulmonary disease. M. pneumoniae infections may cause central nervous system (CNS) complications-with encephalitis being the most frequent-and stroke being a rare complication. The pathogenesis of the CNS disease is unclear; possibilities include direct infection and an immune-mediated reaction. We present two cases of CNS complications subsequent to infection with M. pneumoniae; both cases had convincing evidence of preceding M. pneumoniae respiratory disease with no evidence of viable M. pneumoniae in the cerebrospinal fluid. We report cases of encephalitis and stroke following a recent M. pneumoniae infection.

Keyword

Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Central nervous system; Encephalitis; Stroke

MeSH Terms

Central Nervous System
Central Nervous System Diseases
Child
Encephalitis
Humans
Mycoplasma
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Pneumonia
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma
Respiratory System
Stroke
Young Adult