Brain Complications with Influenza Infection in Children

Objectives: To summarize the characteristics and research progress of influenza-associated brain complications in children and provide references for early diagnosis and brain protection treatment. Methods: Studied published articles of influenza-associated neurocomplications in children from PubMed and summarizes them from epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment, and basic research progress. Results: Common brain complications in flu-children include febrile seizures, influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE), acute or post-influenza encephalitis, and the most severe condition is acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). However, the mechanism and relevant factors of influenza-associated brain damage have not been elucidated. Conclusion: Influenza could be accompanied by various brain lesion complications in dif ferent stages of the disease, some of which are life-threatening or leave severe neurological sequelae, such as ANE. Due to different brain injury mechanisms, specific early diagnosis and brain protection treatment for different complications are unclear or unanimous. Therefore, further classification and basic research are needed.