Acute Ataxia of Childhood: A Summary of Fifteen Cases FREE

GENE M. LASATER, M.D.; J. T. JABBOUR, M.D.

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Submitted for publication April 14, 1958.

AMA Am J Dis Child. 1959;97(1):61-65. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1959.02070010063004.

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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Ataxia is a symptom commonly encountered in children. From a therapeutic and prognostic standpoint, ataxia produced by posterior fossa tumors and spinocerebellar degeneration must be differentiated from that which is symptomatic of a more benign self-limited disease. Shanks¹ observed that a poor prognosis was usually associated with ataxia of insidious and chronic onset. On the other hand, spontaneous recovery usually occurred in children in whom ataxia had developed acutely. This condition has been referred to as "acute cerebellar ataxia." It is generally a benign disorder, subsiding in a few days or weeks. Adults are only rarely affected. The etiology is often undetermined, but in most cases it is thought to be a cerebellar encephalitis of infectious or toxic origin. The following is a summary of the clinical picture and a discussion of possible etiologies based on reports in the literature and our own observations of 15 cases.

Clinical Picture

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

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Onifer, T. M., and Whisnant, J. P.: Cerebellar Ataxia and Neuronitis After Exposure to DDT and Lindane , Proc. Staff Meet. Mayo Clin. 32:67, 1957;.

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