Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis, occasional afebrile seizures, and rarely encephalitis. We describe a child with cerebellitis due to norovirus that has not been reported previously. A previously healthy 2-year-old girl with a recent history of acute gastroenteritis, who presented with acute cerebellar ataxia. She exhibited marked truncal ataxia, was barely able to walk, and was prone to sitting or lying down. Multiplex PCR using stool samples revealed norovirus (genogroup II) and magnetic resonance imaging showed increased T2 signal in the hemi-cerebellum. Norovirus may be a potential pathogenic cause of acute cerebellitis in children.
Ataxia ; Cerebellar Ataxia ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Deception ; Encephalitis ; Female* ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Norovirus* ; Seizures