[Abnormal magnetic resonance imaging in a child with Alice in Wonderland syndrome following Epstein-Barr virus infection].

Characteristic pathologic changes of cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have never been reported in "Alice in Wonderland" syndrome (AIWS) caused by Epstein-Barr (EB) virus infection. We present here a 10-year-old girl with AIWS with an abnormal MR finding. During the course of serologically confirmed EB virus encephalopathy, she had distortion of the body image, visual hallucinations and depersonalization characteristic of AIWS. MRI demonstrated transient T2 prolongation and swelling of the cerebral cortex, especially at the bilateral temporal lobes, bilateral cingulate gyrus, right upper frontal gyrus, bilateral caudate nucleus, and bilateral putamen, whereas CT showed no abnormalities. Transient MRI lesions were occasionally reported in patients with EB virus encephalopathy/encephalitis who presented visual illusions and psychotic reactions, although the diagnosis of AIWS was not described. We consider that any patient with symptoms of AIWS should have MRI because the abnormal MRI findings may disappear in a short period.