Complicated EBV infection in a healthy child.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is highly prevalent throughout the population. Although in most cases, the infection has a good prognosis, it can cause severe complications. We report a case of a healthy child with a primary EBV infection that evolved with two rare complications.

Transient mutism, pathological laughter and cerebellar ataxia after primary varicella-zoster virus infection.

Acute postinfectious cerebellitis is characterised by inflammatory involvement of the cerebellum and consequent cerebellar dysfunction, usually presenting a benign and self-limited course. Common symptoms described in the literature include ataxia, peripheral facial paralysis, aphasia, spinal dysfunction and eventually hydrocephalus. We describe a rare presentation of acute cerebellitis after varicella, in a 6-year-old child, who presented with ataxia, dysmetria, mutism and pathological laughter.