Aa
11 year old girl with a possible diagnosis of encephalitis
I need some help on finding out what is wrong with my niece. Mid April she had a fever for 1.5 days and then had a 10 day episode where she was not very coherent, she was drowsy and did not respond to her surroundings. After the 10th day, she came out of this and said it was"like she was trapped in her own head". All labs, head CT, head MRI and EEG were normal. She also had swabs done that were all negative. The pediatrician said that it could be viral encephalitis.
Two weeks later, she developed the same symptoms (lasting 7 days this time), the family physician said that this must be mental illness. The parents went back to the pediatrician who also said, since all labs and test were normal that a consult with psychiatry would be arranged (also stated that encephalitis does not reoccur). After the psych assessment, the psychiatrist said this was not mental illness but something organic. He agreed to keep her as a patient as the other specialists were putting her off as all the diagnostics are normal.
Just last week, she went into this state again and it lasted 4 days.
From observing her and what she tells us is that when it starts, it feels like her ear(s) are plugged and then for the duration of the episode her hearing is "muffled". After she comes out of this, her memory is patchy (she remembers some things but not others), she finds it easier to write things down than to verbalize in this state. Her emotions are flat and she is frightened when she comes out of it as she does not want to lapse back into this state.
Her parents and our family are worried sick about this as we do not know where to go for further help. The psychiatrist has been the most helpful and reassuring, but the family physicians and pediatricians and neurologists have not been supportive at finding the cause to this (no evidence of anything wrong as all tests have been normal).
Is there something that everyone is missing? Can encephalitis reoccur over long periods? All Drs have said she has fluid in her ears.
Please help!
Two weeks later, she developed the same symptoms (lasting 7 days this time), the family physician said that this must be mental illness. The parents went back to the pediatrician who also said, since all labs and test were normal that a consult with psychiatry would be arranged (also stated that encephalitis does not reoccur). After the psych assessment, the psychiatrist said this was not mental illness but something organic. He agreed to keep her as a patient as the other specialists were putting her off as all the diagnostics are normal.
Just last week, she went into this state again and it lasted 4 days.
From observing her and what she tells us is that when it starts, it feels like her ear(s) are plugged and then for the duration of the episode her hearing is "muffled". After she comes out of this, her memory is patchy (she remembers some things but not others), she finds it easier to write things down than to verbalize in this state. Her emotions are flat and she is frightened when she comes out of it as she does not want to lapse back into this state.
Her parents and our family are worried sick about this as we do not know where to go for further help. The psychiatrist has been the most helpful and reassuring, but the family physicians and pediatricians and neurologists have not been supportive at finding the cause to this (no evidence of anything wrong as all tests have been normal).
Is there something that everyone is missing? Can encephalitis reoccur over long periods? All Drs have said she has fluid in her ears.
Please help!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Pediatrics Community
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments
