Article

The long-term outcomes of childhood infective encephalitis are variable and
not well quantified. We aimed to systematically review the literature and
undertake meta-analyses on predetermined outcomes to address this knowledge gap
and identify areas for future research. METHOD: We searched electronic databases,
performed complementary reviews of references of fully extracted articles, and
made contact with experts on infective encephalitis. Articles published up until
April 2016 were selected for screening. RESULTS: We evaluated sequelae of 1018
survivors of childhood infective encephalitis (934 with complete follow-up) from
16 studies. Mean age during acute encephalitis episodes was 5 years 3.6 months
(range 1.2mo-17y), 57.6% were male (500/868), and mean follow-up period was 4
years 1.2 months (range 1-12y). Incomplete recovery was reported in 312 children
(42.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.6-53.1% in pooled estimate). Among the
other sequelae, developmental delay, abnormal behaviour, motor impairment, and
seizures were reported among 35.0% (95% CI 10.0-65.0%), 18.0% (95% CI 8.0-31.0%),
17.0% (95% CI 10.0-26.0%), and 10.0% (95% CI 6.0-14.0%) respectively.
INTERPRETATION: Almost half of childhood infective encephalitis survivors report
incomplete recovery in the long-term; most commonly developmental delay,
behavioural abnormality, and neurological impairments (i.e. seizure). Well
designed, large-scale prospective studies are needed to better quantify
neurodevelopmental sequelae among childhood encephalitis survivors.
CI - (c) 2016 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS