A case report of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis following severe dengue in a child

Introduction Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a rare neurological complication seen in association with severe dengue infection. Here we report a case of a six-year-old male child with ADEM following dengue fever. Case report A six-year-old boy was admitted with fever, hematuria, and melena of five days duration. On evaluation, the child had shock and features of coagulopathy. Dengue NS 1 antigen and IgM ELISA were positive. The child received treatment as per the 2009 WHO dengue protocol. On day seven of illness, he developed neurological symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) done on day eight of illness showed T2/FLAIR hyperintensities in bilateral frontoparietal subcortical deep white matter, occipital periventricular white matter, pons and cerebellar hemispheres, diagnostic of ADEM. He responded to intravenous methylprednisolone. He was discharged 2 weeks after hospitalization. His neurological examination was normal at follow up after a month. Conclusions Early recognition and prompt treatment of ADEM in dengue can lead to a successful outcome without neurological deficits.