Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated cerebral infarction in a child: A case report and literature review
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
(MP) is a common pathogen causing respiratory infections in children, with clinical manifestations ranging from mild infection to severe necrotizing pneumonia. Although increasing evidence links MP to cerebral infarction, its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood due to limited data. This report describes a rare case of pediatric cerebral infarction secondary to MP infection, successfully treated with levofloxacin, methylprednisolone, and anticoagulation therapy, with a favorable outcome at 9-month follow-up.
A 6-year-old girl was initially hospitalized after experiencing a 5-day history of fever, reaching a peak of 40.3 °C, along with a cough.
Following an ineffective course of cefoperazone/sulbactam and azithromycin, the patient developed drowsiness, persistent headaches, and motor deficits. Magnetic resonance angiography identified acute cerebral infarction affecting the right frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with severe Mycoplasma pneumonia and right middle cerebral artery stenosis and occlusion. Further evaluation revealed signs of systemic hypercoagulability, characterized by elevated D-dimer levels, positive IgM anticardiolipin antibodies, and heightened inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10. These findings corroborated the diagnosis of cerebral infarction, with MP infection identified as the underlying etiological factor.
Due to persistent fever,…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Thiophenes—Naturally Occurring Plant Metabolites: Biological Activities and In Silico Evaluation of Their Potential as Cathepsin D Inhibitors
- Inhalable Mannosylated Rifampicin–Curcumin Co-Loaded Nanomicelles with Enhanced In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy for an Optimized Pulmonary Tuberculosis Therapy
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach
- Novel Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Parameters Quantify the Exposure–Effect Relationship of Levofloxacin against Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Escherichia coli
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.