Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Following Meningococcal Group C Conjugate Vaccination

Acute cerebellar ataxia is the most common cause of childhood ataxia, usually resulting from infections or vaccinations. Cases of acute cerebellar ataxia have been reported as a consequence of several viral and bacterial infections as well as immunizing agents, such as varicella, influenza, hepatitis B, and diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccines. Although immunization with meningococcal group C conjugate vaccines has been associated with several neurological side effects, acute cerebellar ataxia has not been previously reported. The authors describe a case of a 12-year-old girl exhibiting acute cerebellar ataxia following meningococcal group C conjugate vaccination. In this patient, cerebellar symptoms started within 24 hours from the vaccination, and infective causes have been ruled out by serum and liquoral analyses. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were normal. Progressive clinical improvement was obtained after corticosteroid treatment. This case increases the small number of postvaccinal ataxias and contributes to further clarifying the complex pathogenesis of this disorder.