Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood: Not always devastating

Abstract

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC) is an uncommon cause of acute onset febrile encephalopathy, which progresses rapidly and has poor outcomes. We reported a 4-year-old female who presented with acute febrile encephalopathy, raised intracranial pressure (ICP), and respiratory failure. The brain imaging was suggestive of ANEC. The treatment included antibiotics, antivirals, mechanical ventilation, measures to lower ICP, intravenous immunoglobulin, and supportive care in the Pediatric intensive care unit with which she made a remarkable recovery.

Keywords

• encephalopathy
• intravenous immunoglobulin
• raised intracranial pressure
• thalamus