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Abstract:

Difficulty of walking and fine movements disturbance with acute onset in a previous healthy child (usually between the ages of 2 and 5 years), that appears within a short period of time (48-72 hours), is identified as acute ataxia. Acute post-infectious cerebellar ataxia (APICA) is the most common form of acute ataxia found in children. There is no specific diagnostic test for APICA. Usually, APICA is diagnosed by a process of elimination, and exclusion of more serious types of ataxia (head injury, drugs, toxins, carbon monoxide inhalation) that sometimes, may need complex investigations. The description of the child's history and of the recent events leading up to the ataxia, will help in making the diagnosis, where acute onset of symptoms in a recent infection context will play an important role. We present a case of a two years old boy with acute onset of ataxia appeared after a history of a recent acute upper respiratory infection, in whom there was a progressive regression of symptoms that needed no specific treatment or aggressive investigations.

Key-words: ataxia, acute ataxia, post-infectious cerebellitis

Introducere

Dificultätile de mers si tulburärile în miscärile fine cu debut acut la un copil anterior sänätos, de obicei cu vârsta intre 2 si 5 ani, apärute într-un interval scurt de timp (48-72ore) sunt asociate cu ataxia acutä.

Cuvântul ataxie provine de la cuvântul grecesc "a taxis" care înseamna "färä comandä" sau "färä coordonare". Ataxia este caracterizatä prin tulburäri în coordonarea voluntarä a posturii si a miscärilor. Ataxia poate fie cineticä (dacä mpiedicä miscarea), staticä (dacä mpiedicä mentinerea pozitiei); de asemenea acutä sau cronicä.

Dintre cauzele de ataxie acutä, amintim ataxia de origine infectioasä, una dintre cele mai frecvente cauze la copii, cuprinzând 30-50% din totalul cazurilor, care apare cel mai frecvent la categoria de värstä 2-5 ani.

Ataxia postinfectioasä, debuteazä la 5-10 zile de la aparitia semnelor de infectie, evolutia este spre regresie în mai putin de o lunä si nu este urmatä de sechele [6].

Cauze mai rare de ataxie la copil sunt: ataxia de origine toxicä, mai frecventä la copii de vârsta prescolarä, dupä ingestie accidentalä de benzodiazepine, uneori dupä ingestia unei cantitäti mici de alcool sau în conditii de hipoglicemie.

Ataxia de origine traumaticä este destul de rarä si apare...

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