Parechovirus encephalitis
General description
Parechovirus is a virus belonging to the Picornaviridae family, with 19 known genotypes. Among them, Parechovirus A3 (PeV-A3) is notable for causing severe infections, such as sepsis and cerebral meningitis, in newborns and infants under 3 months of age.
Typical symptoms of PeV-A3-induced sepsis include high fever, tachycardia, reticular cyanosis, abdominal distention, and umbilical protrusion. Erythema on the palms and soles may also be present. Notably, inflammatory markers such as white blood cell count and CRP are often within normal ranges in affected patients.
Bilateral T2WI and FLAIR hyperintensity
Neonatal parechovirus encephalitis often exhibits characteristic patterns on neuroimaging, such as T2WI/FLAIR hyperintensity with restricted diffusion in the white matter, predominantly in the frontal and parietal regions. Abnormal signals in the corpus callosum and swelling in both thalami may also be observed.