Pediatric ischemic stroke due to dengue vasculitis.

BACKGROUND

Dengue infection is an important arboviral infection in southeast Asia, especially in India. Neurological manifestations of dengue are increasingly recognized.

METHODS

We report an ischemic stroke due to dengue vasculitis in an 8-year-old child.

PATIENT: We present a girl with a short febrile illness followed by episodic severe headache, with gradually progressive hemiparesis and visual impairment. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple infarctions in the anterior and posterior circulation. The magnetic resonance angiogram revealed irregular narrowing of bilateral middle cerebral arteries, right anterior cerebral artery, left posterior cerebral, and bilateral vertebral arteries suggestive of vasculitis. Her dengue serology was strongly positive for immunoglobulin M with 68.9 panbio units. The rest of the evaluation for pediatric stroke was unremarkable. She was treated with intravenous followed by oral corticosteroids and recovered totally with resolution of vasculitis on magnetic resonance angiogram over the next 3 months.

CONCLUSION

This child illustrates possible immune-mediated vasculitis caused by dengue infection which is rather a rare presentation in a child who subsequently recovered well. One should consider dengue in childhood strokes in endemic regions.