All issues > Volume 47(12); 2004

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(12):1338-1348. Published online December 15, 2004.

A Case of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia Complicated with Guillain-Barr Syndrome and Encephalitis

Soon Bum SB Lee¹, Hee H Jung², Yong Seok YS Lee², Bum Sun BS Kwon³, Jeesuk JS Yu¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea
²Department ofDiagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea
³Department of Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea

Correspondence Jeesuk JS Yu ,Email: dryujs@dankook.ac.kr

Abstract

The most common pathogen of respiratory tract infection among school-age children and adolescents is Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes clinical manifestations of pneumonia, acute asthmatic attack, pharygitis, and tonsilitis. It can also cause extrapulmonary infections that involves skin, the nervous system, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, and the hematopoietic system. It is reported that the central nervous system symptoms may occur in 0.1% to 7% of patients hospitalized with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Direct invasion, toxin, immune-mediated, and vascular phenomenon have been proposed for the etiology of the neurological manifestations. We have experienced a six-year-old male patient with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia who had complained of both leg pains and immobility two weeks after the onset of pneumonia, which was confirmed as peripheral neuropathy of Guillain-Barr syndrome. Three weeks after the disease-onset, altered consciousness and seizure attacks developed and intravenous immunoglobulins infused under the impression of encephalitis induced by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. He showed complete recovery of running and mentality five months after the disease-onset. We herein report a case of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia complicated with Guillain-Barr Syndrome and encephalitis about 2 or 3 weeks after the disease onset with a review of literatures.

Keywords :Pneumonia, Mycoplasma, Guillain-Barr syndrome, Encephalitis, Immunoglobulins