Peripheral neuropathy in a child with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections

Recent infection seems to be an important and independent risk factor for neurological illness, but the mechanism linking infection and neurological involvement is still largely undetermined. Among infective agents, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a reasonably common cause of neurological complications in childhood and it can manifest in several ways, including cerebral infarction and extrapyramidal features. Here, we report on a child who had a peripheral neuropathy chronologically, clinically and biologically related to M. pneumoniae infection. The present report supports the hypothesis of a close causal relationship between this infective agent and the neurological symptoms experienced by this child during an acute episode of respiratory disease.