Acute necrotizing encephalopathy: A comparison between influenza and non-influenza cases

The aim of this study was to clarify the difference between influenza and non-influenza cases in clinical symptoms, laboratory and neuroimaging findings, and outcome in children with ANE. We retrospectively studied 22 children with ANE. Eleven of them had virological proof of influenza infection and the other 11 were judged as non-influenza infection. There was no significant difference between influenza and non-influenza cases in sex, antipyretics use and neurological symptoms. Although laboratory data were not different between the two groups, brainstem lesions were relatively more frequent in influenza cases than in non-influenza cases. Outcome was not different between the two groups. The results of our study suggest that the pathogenesis of acute necrotizing encephalopathy will not be dependent on infectious agents.