Cerebral infarction in a child. A case report.

Cerebral infarcts in children are rather rare and in most cases no precise etiology is established. The authors describe a case of cryptogenetic cerebral infarction in a 9-year-old boy. The child presented an acute onset of hemiplegia in the right arm and leg, central facial palsy, dysarthria and steppage. The infarction was proved by Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Laboratory and instrumental studies rule out all known causes of brain infarction. The only possible etiopathogenetic hypothesis was a varicella arteritis which occurred 45 days before the clinical manifestation.