A fatal case of enterovirus A71-induced meningoencephalitis following allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is a major pathogen responsible for hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in infants and children. EV-A71 infection represents an epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, and can cause serious central nervous system (CNS) infections in immunocompromised patients that can result in paralysis, disability, or death. There have been few reports in the literature concerning EV-A71 CNS infections after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in adult patients. We describe the case of a 63-year-old woman with EV-A71 meningoencephalitis who underwent a second allo-HSCT for relapsed refractory myelodysplastic syndrome. She developed disturbance of consciousness during intubation due to severe pulmonary impairment following allo-HSCT. Despite the absence of pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid, enterovirus was detected in her cerebral spinal fluid using the Biofire® FilmArray® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel, which was later identified as EV-A71 at a referral center. Despite a transient improvement in her level of consciousness after intravenous immunoglobulin administration, she did not fully recover. The patient also showed muscle weakness as well as pulmonary impairment that necessitated a tracheotomy. Our case demonstrated the utility of the FilmArray® ME panel as a screening tool for detecting multiple potential pathogens until a specific pathogen could be identified using other diagnostic methods. Clinicians should be aware that EV-A71 CNS infection can occur among adults with severe immunodeficient conditions, and that it leads poor clinical outcomes. Our case suggests that continuous monitoring for this potentially fatal pathogen is warranted for immunocompromised patients.