[Neuromeningeal enterovirus infections in Tunisia: epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcome of 26 pediatric cases].

Unlabelled: Non-polio enteroviruses are the most common identified cause of viral neuromeningeal infections following the introduction of the mumps and polio vaccines.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and the outcome of enteroviral infections of the CNS.

Method And Patients: We performed a prospective study on 41 children admitted for viral neuromeningeal infections in the pediatric department of Monastir between December 2001 and November 2002. Enteroviruses were detected from cerebrospinal fluid by RT-PCR.

Results: This study showed that enteroviruses were responsible for 63.4% of the infections. The mean age of patients was 6.1 years. Aseptic meningitis was diagnosed in 14 cases and encephalitis in 10. The most frequent symptom was fever (61.5%), followed by seizures (42.3%), and confusion (23%). On follow-up, all patients with meningitis had recovered without sequels. Neurological complications in patients with encephalitis were epilepsy (3 cases), cerebral palsy (2 cases), and mental retardation (1 case).

Conclusion: This study confirmed that enteroviruses were the most common cause of viral infections of the CNS. Common use of RT-PCR can have a significant impact on the outcome of patients with enterovirus infections.