Catastrophic Presentation of Infant Botulism May Obscure or Delay Diagnosis Wendy G. Mitchell, MD, and Linda Tseng-Ong, MD ABSTRACT. Three infants with infant botulism are with unusual presentations of catastrophic illness in presented to illustrate how atypical, early, and severe whom the diagnosis of infant botulism was delayed. features may obscure or delay diagnosis. Two boys aged Typically, infant botulism presents with acute or 6 weeks and 20 days, respectively, presented with rapid subacute onset of weakness and hypotonia. It first deterioration after brief periods of poor feeding, one affects the bulbar musculature, manifesting as poor with an apparent life-threatening event at home and the other with a full cardiopulmonary arrest. Initial abnor- suck and hypophonic cry, facial weakness, ptosis, mal laboratory findings of coagulopathy suggested sep- abnormal eye movements, and abnormal papillary sis in the first infant. In the second infant, severe acidosis reactions. It is then followed by neck and shoulder- and hypoglycemia suggested an underlying metabolic girdle weakness and, finally, a progressive, descend- disorder. A third infant, aged 1 month, was hospitalized ing pattern of weakness and hypotonia.1–4 Onset is originally with an admitting diagnosis of “pharyngitis” typically in the first 6 months, although cases have resulting from his inability to take adequate feedings. He been reported as early as a few days through 12 received intravenous fluids and antibiotics. One week months of age. Although “constipation” is a poorly later he suffered a respiratory arrest. Laboratory findings of severe hyponatremia and acidosis at the time of his defined complaint, parents typically report a change arrest suggested a metabolic etiology. Even retrospec- in stool pattern with decreased frequency of bowel tively, none of these infants had the typical initial com- movements before recognition of weakness. Early in plaint of constipation, and none were noted to have pto- the course, reflexes as well as distal strength tend to sis or facial weakness before catastrophic collapse. be preserved. Later, substantial weakness and incip- However, in each case, the parent had initially brought ient respiratory failure occur. The time course is the child to the physician for “poor feeding” or “poor highly variable, ranging from Ͻ24 hours to Ͼ1 week suck,” which was not recognized by medical personnel as from time of first symptom to the nadir of strength. a result of bulbar weakness. Ultimately, all 3 infants were found to have infant botulism. All 3 had received For the most part, infants maintain normal alertness antibiotics before catastrophic collapse, possibly contrib- and responsiveness to the environment. Substan- uting to the rapidity of the deterioration. Each recovered, tially altered mental status is uncommon unless there although the delay in diagnosis made them ineligible for are significant secondary complications of hypox- treatment with botulism immunoglobulin. Pediatrics emia, dehydration or hypoglycemia, or incipient re- 2005;116:e436–e438. URL: www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/ spiratory failure. 10.1542/peds.2005-0297; infant botulism, apparent life- Shortly after infant botulism was recognized in threatening events, bulbar weakness. 1976,1,5 questions arose about whether it accounted for a proportion of sudden infant death syndrome 6–8 ABBREVIATIONS. SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome; Pco2, (SIDS) cases. Conflicting information initially sug- partial pressure of carbon dioxide; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid. gested that botulism might account for as much as 10% to 15% of SIDS cases.9,10 For example, Murrell et he typical presentation of infant botulism is al found Clostridium botulinum spores in 6 (5%) of 120 familiar to most pediatric neurologists and pe- SIDS cases compared with 0 of 53 healthy controls, diatric intensivists and thus is not likely to be but botulinum toxin was found in only 1 SIDS case T compared with 0 of 49 samples from healthy in- missed. However, there are times when the presen- tation is so atypical or catastrophic that the diagnosis fants.11 Other studies failed to confirm an increased is not immediately obvious. This may then delay the prevalence of C botulinum organisms and toxin in diagnosis and treatment. We now report 3 infants intestinal contents of deceased infants with SIDS compared with normal infants.12–14 Exceptionally se- vere, early-onset infant botulism has been described, From the Pediatric Neurology Division, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, suggesting catastrophic metabolic or infectious dis- Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California; and Department of ease, which may delay the diagnosis.15 Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. Accepted for publication Mar 17, 2005. With the development and approval of human doi:10.1542/peds.2005-0297 botulism immunoglobulin (BabyBIG), prompt diag- No conflict of interest declared. nosis is essential to end the toxemia associated with Address correspondence to Wendy G. Mitchell, MD, Neurology Division, infant botulism as quickly as possible. To date, Baby- Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Box 82, Los Angeles, CA BIG has only been available for use in those who are 90027. E-mail: [email protected] PEDIATRICS (ISSN 0031 4005). Copyright © 2005 by the American Acad- diagnosed within 7 days of hospital admission. We emy of Pediatrics. present 3 cases of atypical infantile botulism. Al- e436 PEDIATRICS Vol. 116Downloaded No. 3 September from www.aappublications.org/news 2005 www.pediatrics.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/peds.2005-0297 by guest on October 2, 2021 though all 3 infants ultimately recovered, none were hypotonic and weak, with nonreactive pupils, poor gag and suck, eligible for treatment with botulism immunoglobulin and absent tendon reflexes. His liver was slightly enlarged. Ex- tensive evaluation of metabolic status was normal, including se- because of a delay in diagnosis. rum amino acids, urine organic acids, serum cortisol, and genetic testing for Prader-Willi syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy, and CLINICAL REPORTS mitochondrial disorders. Neuroimaging (brain MRI) showed a Patient 1 punctate lesion in the right frontal white matter, ultimately thought to be insignificant. His metabolic acidosis recovered, but This 6-week-old boy was well until 4 days before admission he remained severely hypotonic with poor gag and suck. Stool when he had decreased oral intake and a weak cry. The next day collected on the 14th day of illness was reported to contain toxin he had a tactile fever and was treated with amoxicillin for ear and spores of C botulinum type B. During his course, he developed infection by his pediatrician. On the day of admission, he stopped transient bloody diarrhea, and his stool was positive for Clostrid- breathing immediately after nursing and became blue and limp. ium difficile toxin. His diarrhea resolved without treatment. The father initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the para- He was intubated for a total of 13 days, unable to be orally fed medics were called. On arrival, paramedics noted that the patient for 17 days, and eventually discharged with minimal residual had no spontaneous respiration and had a “weak” heart rate. weakness 28 days after the original date of admission. On fol- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was continued on route to emer- low-up examination 2 months later, his neurologic examination gency department, where he was intubated. Initial arterial blood was normal. gas analysis showed pH of 7.01, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco2) at 35 mm Hg, and partial pressure of oxygen at 305 mm Hg, Patient 3 while he was being ventilated with 100% oxygen. The initial examination demonstrated a lethargic and diffusely hypotonic This 20-day-old boy had a diagnosis of suspected urinary tract infant, noted to have briskly reactive pupils and no facial asym- infection at the age of 10 days and was treated with oral antibiotics metry. He was noted to move all extremities to painful stimuli and for 5 days. He was well until 1 day before admission, when his had intact tendon reflexes. He was admitted to the pediatric mother noted that he was not eating well. Change in bowel intensive care unit (PICU). Initial abnormal laboratory values movements was denied. On the morning of admission, he pre- suggested sepsis with coagulopathy (prothrombin time: 15.6 sec- sented with poor oral intake, weak cry, lethargy, and floppiness. onds; partial thromboplastin time: Ͼ150 seconds). However, these He had a full cardiopulmonary arrest in the emergency depart- values normalized over the first 2 days. All cultures (blood, urine, ment requiring resuscitation including endotracheal intubation, 3 and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF]) were negative. He received intra- boluses of intravenous epinephrine, atropine, and bicarbonate. venous antibiotics (ampicillin and ceftriaxone). The parents did Immediately after resuscitation, arterial blood gas showed pH of not report any change in stool pattern. A neurology consultation 7.06, Pco2 at 22 mm Hg, and partial pressure of oxygen at 569 mm was obtained on hospital day 2. On examination, he was somno- Hg, while he was being ventilated with 100% oxygen. Initial blood lent, although briefly arousable. He had ptosis and sluggishly glucose was 32 mg/dL. After resuscitation, cultures were col- reactive pupils (3 to 2 mm), did not visually fix or follow, and had lected, and he received intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin. partial extraocular movements on dolls-head maneuver but no The child was transported to the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles spontaneous eye movements. He had a poor gag reflex, poor PICU. cough, and no suck reflex. The face remained symmetric, and the On admission physical examination, the child was intubated tendon reflexes were present. The initial impression was sepsis and found to be minimally responsive, with some grimacing to with diffuse neurologic insult as a result of hypoxic-ischemic pain, poor cough, and minimal gag. Initial blood lactate was encephalopathy. A brain computed tomography scan was normal. elevated markedly (54 mg/dL [normal: 6–16 mg/dL]).