Viral Encephalitis Complicated with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood

Abstract

Two patients with viral encephalitis complicated by acute lymphoblastic leukemia were diagnosed clinically. Hand-foot-mouth disease preceded in one patient and aphthous stomatitis in the other patient, respectively. Furthermore, herpes simplex virus DNA was detected from cerebrospinal fluid of the second case by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. PCR analysis is thought to be a useful method for the detection of causative agent of encephalitis which occurs in immunosuppressive individuals including patients with leukemia.