J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  2017 Dec;25(4):277-280. 10.26815/jkcns.2017.25.4.277.

Epstein-Barr Virus Infection associated Transverse Myelitis with Brain Involvement in an Immunosuppressed Patient: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience Center, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. prabbit7@snu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Pediatrics, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Bundang, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Boramae Medical center, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

A 19-year-old girl with immunosuppressive agents of tacrolimus and mychophenolate mofetil following liver transplantation due to glycogen storage disease visited hospital due to lower extremity motor weakness and blurred vision. Motor power was checked as grade II in the upper extremities and grade 0 in the lower extremities with absence of deep tendon reflexes and anal sphincter dysfunction. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed increased T2 high signal intensity lesions from C4 to L2 level of spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and the left optic nerve. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed pleocytosis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was detected as 5,954 copies/mL in CSF whereas all other microbiologic tests were negative. Anti-aquaporin 4 antibody and oligoclonal band were not detected. Intravenous immunoglobulin, methylprednisolone pulse therapy and 3-week course of acyclovir were administered. Although motor power in the upper extremities recovered to grade V, motor power in the lower extremities did not show any improvement. The EBV viral load was not detected in the follow-up CSF examination. EBV infection in an immune-compromised patient could cause extensive demyelinating diseases in central nervous system and result in severe disability.

Keyword

Epstein-Barr virus; Acute transverse myelitis; Immunocompromised patient

MeSH Terms

Acyclovir
Anal Canal
Brain*
Central Nervous System
Cerebral Cortex
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Demyelinating Diseases
DNA
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Glycogen Storage Disease
Herpesvirus 4, Human*
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Immunoglobulins
Immunosuppressive Agents
Leukocytosis
Liver Transplantation
Lower Extremity
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Methylprednisolone
Myelitis, Transverse*
Optic Nerve
Reflex, Stretch
Spinal Cord
Tacrolimus
Upper Extremity
Viral Load
Young Adult
Acyclovir
DNA
Immunoglobulins
Immunosuppressive Agents
Methylprednisolone
Tacrolimus
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