Severe acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with clinical findings of transverse myelitis after herpes simplex virus infection.

Background: ADEM is a central nervous disease that leads to myelin damage as a result of autoimmune response that develops after infections or vaccination. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) infection rarely leads to ADEM.

Patient: 25-month-old male due to urinary retention, paradoxical respiration and muscle weakness after herpetic gingivostomatitis diagnosed as transverse myelitis. In follow-up with cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging multiple lesions were demonstrated. Electroneuromyography findings were compatible with acute sensorimotor neuropathy, serum anti-GM2 antibodies and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type 1/2 IgM / IgG detected negative and positivite, respectively. With these findings he was diagnosed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) following HSV infection. Although acyclovir, intravenous immunoglobulin, methylprednisolone and plasmapheresis therapies, he is still in intensive physical therapy program with heavy sequel.

Results: In our case, ADEM demonstrated transverse myelitis clinic after HSV infection which is rarely seen in literature. As well as clinic and spinal imaging findings, cranial imaging findings helped establishment of ADEM diagnosis.

Conclusion: To our best knowledge, HSV is a rare etiological and probably the poor prognostic factor of ADEM.