Human parechovirus causing extensive white matter brain injury in a neonate

Abstract

There is a wide differential for white matter changes on magnetic resonance imaging in an un-well neonate. Human parechovirus is one of the very few neurotropic viruses, which presents with sepsis like illness or encephalitis in neonates and can cause extensive white matter changes in the brain. We present a 7-week-old infant with fever, lethargy and poor feeding, who had extensive white matter changes on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction was positive for human parechovirus.

Keywords

Human parechovirus - cerebrospinal fluid - polymerase chain reaction