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SUMMARY Purpose: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common respiratory pathogen, has been implicated as an etiology of encephalitis, but there are few reports about it and postencephalitic epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate clinical factors, electroencephalography, and neuroradiologic features of M. pneumoniae–related encephalitis in a series of children with postencephalitic epilepsy and to examine possible prognostic factors. Methods: Cases of M. pneumoniae–related encephalitis between January 2001 and June 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Systematic clinical data were evaluated. Key Findings: The 99 enrolled patients with M. pneumoniae–related encephalitis were all positive by serology and 47 (47.5%) of them developed postencephalitic epilepsy. During the acute phase, 53 patients (53.5%) had seizures, the most common type of which was primary focal with secondary generalized tonic–clonic seizure (39.6%). The most common initial electroencephalography was focal/ diffuse cortical dysfunction (37.4%) and focal epileptiform discharge (26.4%). The time of follow-up ranged from 6–131 months. At the end of the study, 19 (40.4%) of the 47 children with postencephalitic epilepsy had intractable seizures. Significance: Postencephalitic epilepsy is not a rare complication of M. pneumoniae–related encephalitis. Seizures in the acute phase and focal epileptiform discharges in initial electroencephalography are significant prognostic factors.

Aim: Influenza B-associated rhabdomyolysis (IBAR) is an infrequent and little-known complication of influenza B virus infection in children. Diagnosis is usually made based on clinical history, the presence of influenza in the community and detection of virus in nasopharyngeal specimens. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and laboratory manifestations, complications and outcomes of IBAR in Taiwanese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in patients aged

UNLABELLED Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a fulminant, highly fatal disease characterized by evidence of group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus infection and early shock with consecutive organ failure. In adults, affected individuals usually have preceding skin or soft tissue infection. However, in paediatric patients, except for varicella, the background focus is usually respiratory tract infection, and early diagnosis of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in such patients is difficult. We report four previously healthy children with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Pharyngitis was identified in three cases. All of them had constitutional symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and physical findings of tachycardia and diffuse abdominal tenderness, but no concomitant skin infection. CONCLUSION Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome should be considered in paediatric patients with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and early shock. Early diagnosis, prompt initiation of antibiotics and aggressive fluid therapy are lifesaving for such patients.

We report a 12-year-old child presented with cutaneous pustular lesions. The lesions are associated with disseminated septic embolism due to Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The mortality of CA-MRSA sepsis associated with cutaneous findings is high. In areas where CA-MRSA is endemic, empiric treatment of suspected cutaneous manifestations should include antibiotics predictably active against this pathogen.