Publication Date
2025
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine
Department
Biology, Department of
Student Level
Graduate
SPARK Category
Scholarship
SPARK Session
Independent Presentation
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
Pediatric acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANEC) is a rare condition characterized by precipitation of a viral illness, bilateral thalamic lesions on CT and MRI, and normal cell counts with increased protein in cerebrospinal fluid [1]. ANEC typically presents with a 6-18 month child that experiences fever, seizures, rapid alteration in level of consciousness, in addition to specific findings in brain imaging such as bilateral thalamic lesions with supra and infra-tentorial lesions of variable dimensions [2]. Although the pathogenesis is not fully understood, the absence of inflammatory cells on post-mortem analysis and the lack of consistent viral detection in CSF suggest that dysregulation of the host immune response, rather than direct viral invasion, plays a central role in disease progression [3].
Recommended Citation
Swanson, Chance BS; Jimenez, Josh BS; Patel, Manav BS; Alexeev, Phillip BS; and Hiatt, Kevin MD, "Pediatric Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy: A Case-Based Review of Diagnosis and Outcomes" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 407.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/407
