OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features of mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) in children.

METHODSThe clinical data of 8 children with MERS were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThe mean age of onset was 5 years and 2 months (range 10 months to 12 years). The major clinical features included a history of prodromal infection, and among these children, 5 had pyrexia and 4 had vomiting. Of all the children, 6 were manifested as convulsion and 3 each were manifested as disturbance of consciousness and paroxysmal paropsia. Cranial diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high signals in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Among these children, one child had symmetric and multiple long T1 and long T2 signals in the bilateral centrum semiovale and part of the temporal white matter. MRI reexamination performed after 5-30 days showed the disappearance of abnormal signals in all the children. The children were followed up for 3 months to 2 years, and no child experienced abnormal neurodevelopment.

CONCLUSIONSThe development of MERS in children is closely associated with infection. MERS is characterized by high signals in the splenium of the corpus callosum on cranial diffusion-weighted MRI. Most children have good prognosis.