Salmonella encephalopathy successfully treated with high-dose methylpredonisolone therapy

We present a 7-year-old boy diagnosed as having salmonella encephalopathy. He developed severe consciousness disturbance following enterocolitis. Electroencephalography showed diffuse and high-voltage slow activity but MR images of the brain were normal. Examination of inflammatory cytokines in serum and cerebrospinal fluid revealed high levels of interleukin-6, -8, and -10, and interferon gamma. Salmonella typhimurium was detected in a stool specimen. He was diagnosed as having salmonella-associated encephalopathy that had features of septic encephalopathy and quickly responded to high-dose methylpredonisolone therapy. High-dose methylpredonisolone was considered to be an effective treatment for hypercytokine-mediated S. encephalopathy. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.