Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical University,
Tokyo, Japan | Department of Pharmacology/Pharmacotherapy, Nihon
Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Hisashi Kawashima, MD, PhD, Department of
Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
160-0023, Japan. Tel.: +81 3 3342 6111; Fax: +81 3 3344 0643; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: The number of children with a new type of influenza-associated
encephalopathy is increasing in Japan on a nationwide scale. It is associated
with a high mortality rate of approximately 30% and there are no efficient
treatments. Approximately half of the patients have sequelae despite
anti-cytokine therapies. Severe cases showed high levels of free radicals in
serum and cerebrospinal fluid, and previous studies suggest that free-radical
scavengers may be effective to reduce sequelae. We presented two cases where a
new radical scavenger, edaravone, was administered in addition to anti-cytokine
therapies and reviewed our findings in the context of previously published
papers.
