Reye's Syndrome Difficult Its 32A, 381
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662 BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 20 SEPTEMBER 1975 5 Dwyer, A. F., Newton, N. C., and Sherwood, A. A., Clinical Orthopaedics amino-acid pattern.7 Confirmation of the diagnosis requires and Related Research, 1969, 62, 192. Br Med J: first published as 10.1136/bmj.3.5985.662 on 20 September 1975. Downloaded from 6 Dewald, R. L., and Ray, R. D., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1970, liver biopsy, but this is frequently ruled out by the prolonged 52A, 233. prothrombin time. There is variable but often intense fatty 7O'Brien, J. P., et al.,Journal of Bone and Joint Sturgery, 1971, 53B, 217. infiltration of the liver, with diffuse vacuolation of the hepa- 8 MacEwen, G. D., Bunnell, W. P., and Sriram, K., Jrournal of Bonie and Joint Suirgery, 1975, 57A, 404. tocytes without nuclear displacement and no hepatocellular 9 Ransford, A. O., and Manning, C. W. S. F.,3Journal of Bone andJoint Sur- necrosis.8 gery, 1975, 57B, 131. Since the diagnosis of is 1 Ponseti, I. V., and Friedman, B.,Jrournal of Bone andJoint Surgery, 1950, Reye's syndrome difficult its 32A, 381. incidence may be higher than is generally realized. About I James, J. I. P.,3Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1951, 33B, 399. 400/,, of children diagnosed in life die.9 Features associated 12 James, J. I. P., Scoliosis. E. &. S. Livingstone, Edinburgh & London, 1967. 13 Nachemson, A., Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica, 1968, 39, 466. with poor prognosis include a blood ammonia level higher 14 Nilsonne, U., and Lundgren, K-D., Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica, than 200 tmol 1, a rapid progression to deep coma, a pro- 1968, 39, 456. thrombin time prolonged more than twice normal, increased intracranial pressure,'0 and electroencephalographic ab- normalities." The aetiology and pathophysiology remain poorly under- stood. Some evidence links a variety of this syndrome in Reye's Syndrome Thailand with aflatoxin ingestion.12 A viral aetiology has been suggested owing to the recovery of viruses from the naso- A clinician presented with a child, previously well, who has pharynx and faeces in individual cases and on epidemiological developed convulsions or disturbances of consciousness or grounds,13 but there is no direct viral invasion of liver or both proceeding rapidly to coma is faced with a bewildering brain. The apparent concentration of 13 cases in one part of range of differential diagnoses. Head injuries, vascular acci- Canada which had been sprayed heavily with insecticide was dents, intracranial space-occupying lesions, and direct infec- followed by an experimental study in mice, in which path- tion of the central nervous system must be excluded on the ological features similar to those in Reye's syndrome were basis of the clinical features and by appropriate investigations. produced by a virus in those previously exposed to insecti- Exogenous toxins may need to be looked for as well as meta- cides. Neither the insecticides individually or in combina- bolic disorders such as hypernatraemia, hypoglycaemia, tion nor the virus caused similar pathological features.'4 diabetic acidosis, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, uraemia, Even the cause of the encephalopathy remains undetermined. water intoxication, and acute porphyria. Hypertensive ence- For the time being the treatment of Reye's syndrome phalopathy occurring early in glomerulonephritis before a remains supportive and empirical-namely, the correction of renal lesion is suspected may also cause confusion. Also to be hypoglycaemia, electrolyte abnormalities, acidosis, and hy- considered is acute toxic encephalopathy, a poorly understood poxia. Artificial ventilation may be required. A reduced fluid condition in which convulsions and coma with fever and intake-10% dextrose with maintenance electrolytes-is vomiting develop during such illness as upper respiratory tract advised initially to minimize the risk of cerebral oedema, but infections, gastroenteritis, dysentery, pneumonia, or one ofthe this may have to be modified if the patient is dehydrated or exanthemata. Only supportive and symptomatic treatment is if inappropriate release of antidiuretic hormone occurs. available for this condition. Neomycin by nasogastric tube and laxatives and enemata to http://www.bmj.com/ With such a range of differential diagnoses, it is disappoint- minimize ammonia reabsorption from the gut seem rational ing but understandable that another well-recognized cause of treatment, but they are not of proved value,"7 nor is dexa- coma and convulsions in this age group, Reye's syndrome or methasone or mannitol, the usual treatment for increased encephalopathy with fatty degeneration of the viscera, is often intracranial pressure.'0 The bleeding diathesis may require not recognized in life' 12 years after Reye, Morgan, and correction with fresh frozen plasma or whole blood. The Baral2 first drew attention to it. Classically there may be a apparent beneficial effects ofperitoneal dialysisl8 and exchange history of a mild prodromal illness from which the child is transfusion'7 have not been confirmed in some subsequent on 26 September 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. apparently recovering.35 Vomiting, which may be severe, studies.'0 19 Potentially hazardous recommendations that have may precede central nervous system symptoms by 3-72 hours, been associated with recovery include glucose and insulin,20 but it does not occur in all cases. The common course is rapid L-citrulline," 16 21 and nicotinic acid.22 All must be considered progressive deterioration of consciousness, with convulsions of unproved value. No data are available on optimum calorie proceeding to coma and decerebrate posturing, death often intake nor on how they should be provided. following in 24-48 hours. There are no focal central nervous The acute nature of this syndrome, its sporadic occurrence, system signs, nor meningismus. Papilloedema is unusual early and its variable severity caused difficulties in assessing the in the course. Hyperpnoea or irregular respiration should value of therapeutic regimens as well as in sorting out the arouse diagnostic suspicion. Mild to moderate hepatomegaly pathophysiology, a necessary requisite for rational therapy. may indicate visceral lesions, but it is absent in more than Co-operative studies may resolve these difficulties, but they half of cases. Jaundice is unusual. will be successful only if Reye's syndrome is considered during Only by doing liver function tests is the diagnosis likely to life in all children with acute encephalopathy of unknown be suspected in life. If two ofthe following criteria are satisfied cause. without any other obvious explanation for the clinical and biochemical features, Reye's syndrome is a probable diagnosis: I Kearney, P. J., Deasy, P. F., and O'Donohoe, N. V., J'ournal of the Ir'sh aspartate aminotransferase level more than two and a half Medical Association, 1975, 68, 169. times normal, a prothrombin activity of less than 600% of 2 Reye, R. D. K., Morgan, G., and Baral, J., Lancet, 1963, 2, 749. a 3 British Medical_Journal, 1973, 3, 308. normal, and a blood sugar of less than 3 mmol or C.S.F. 4Lancet, 1974, 2, 445. glucose of less than 2 mmol 1. A blood ammonia level higher 5 Mowat, A. P., Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1973, 48, 411. than 0-1 further supports the diagnosis,6 but hyper- 6 Glasgow, A. M., Cotton, R. B., and Dhiensiri, K., American J'ournal of Vmol/l Diseases of Children, 1972, 124, 827. ammonaemia may be transient. Raised serum levels of alanine, Hilty, M. D., Romshe, C., and Delamater, P. V., J7ournal of Pediatrics, lysine, and glutamine and a low citrulline are the typical 1974, 84, 362. BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 20 SEPTEMBER 1975 663 8 Partin, J. C., Schubert, W. K., and Partin, J. S., New England 3ournal of sarily prove infection, since it is also observed in equal or Medicine, 1971, 285, 1339. Br Med J: first published as 10.1136/bmj.3.5985.662 on 20 September 1975. Downloaded from 9 Morbidity and Mortality, Weekly Report, 1974, 23, 115. greater frequency after transfusion both in patients who sub- 10 Lovejoy, F. H., et al., American Jfournal of Diseases ofChildren, 1974,128,36. sequently develop typical HB,Ag-positive hepatitis due to the " Aoki, Y., and Lombrosa, C. T., Neurology, Minneapolis, 1973, 23, 333. B virus and in those who never contract acute hepatitis.4 8 '' Bourgeois, C., et al., American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1971, 56, 558. 13 Linnemann, C. C., et al., Lancet, 1974, 2, 179. Secondly, it is still uncertain in the cases that show serocon- 14 Crocker, J. F. S., et al., Lancet, 1974, 2, 22. version whether the disease is transmitted de novo or reflects 15 Delong, G. R., Glick, T. H., and Shannon, D. C., New England Journal a of of Medicine, 1974, 290, 1488. merely reactivation pre-existing infection-though the 16 Oetgen, W. J., et al., New England Jouirnal of Medicine, 1974, 291, 421. observation that the frequency of seroconversion increases 71 Huttenlocher, P. R., Journal of Pediatrics, 1972, 80, 845. with the number of units transfused and that the antibody is 18 Samaha, F. J., Blau, E., and Berardinelli, J. L., Pediatrics, 1974, 53, 336. 19 Samaha, F. J., Quoted by Nadler, H., Pediatrics, 1974, 54, 265. often of IgM class favours a primary infection.8 Finally, the 2(1 Brown, R. E., and Madge, C. E., Pediatrics, 1971, 48, 162. incubation period ofcytomegalovirus is about 2-4 weeks, much 2I Glasgow, A. M., and Chase, H. P., Nezw, England Journal of Medicine, shorter than that observed in most cases of hepatitis after 1974, 291, 421. 22 Powell, H. C., and Rosenberg,