Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis associated with acute rheumatic fever

Abstract

An 8-year-old boy developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, 2 weeks after an episode of acute rheumatic fever. The disease was succesfully treated with high-dose methylprednisolone. A wide range of neurologic disorders is associated with streptococcal disease. Poststreptococcal acute disseminated encephalomyelitis was previously reported in children, but to our knowledge, this is the first case report of rheumatic fever complicated by acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. This case supports the hypothesis that rheumatic fever, a late complication of streptococcal infections, may be associated with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.