WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Ghazwan Younus Mohammed and Alaa Adnan Al Ali

ABSTRACT

Background: Acute Childhood ataxia is a common indication for pediatric emergency room admission. Ataxia is the primary clinical sign of cerebellar illness, is the inability to coordinate movement that is not brought on by weakness, involuntary movements, or abnormal muscle tone. There is anatomical localizing value for each of the three forms of ataxia caused by cerebellar disease: limb, truncal, and gait. Lesions of the vermis or brainstem cerebellar connections cause gait and truncal ataxia, while lesions of the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere cause limb ataxia. Objectives: Is to find out the clinical features, causes, investigation, and management of acute childhood ataxia under the age of 15 years. Methods: A prospective study was performed at Ibn Sena Teaching Hospital from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2024. Acute ataxia in children under the age of 15 years is found by the full neurological history and examination. The questionnaire was consisted from three parts. Part one for demographic information of the study patients. Part two for clinical manifestation of the study participants. Part three for the investigation done for each patient. Results: The study included 128 patients, preschool age was the predominant age groups, male/ female ratio was 1.13:1. The study found that fever was present in 54 (42.1 %) patients, previous viral infection within 2-3 weeks in 97 (61.7%) patinets, and recent varicella infection 20 (15.6%) patients. Moreover; Ataxia was present in 128 (100%) patients, followed by dysdiadochinesia in 62 (48.4%) patients, intention tremor in (43.7%) patients, scanned speech in 48 (37.5%) patients, nystagmus in 46 (35.9%) patients. Investigation were done as lumber puncture in 83 (64.8%) patients with abnormal result in 49 (59.1%) patients. MRI done in 103 (80.4%) patients with abnormal result in 46 (44.6%) patients, EEG done for 25 (19.5%) patients with abnormal finding in 16 (64%) patinets, EMG/NCS were requested in 13 (10.1%) patients which are all positive. Additionally; toxicology screen, drug level requested accordingly if available. Acute cerebellar ataxia was found the most common cause among 51 (39.8%) patients, central nervous system infections (meningitis/encephalitis) among 22 (17.1%) patients, drugs and toxins among 14 (10.9%) patients, Gullian Barre syndrome (GBS) among 13 (10.1%) patients, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) among 7 (5.4%) patients, epilepsy among 7 (5.4%) patients, brain tumors among 4 (3.1%) patients, trauma among 4 (3.1%) patients, posterior fossa abscess, psychological and Migraine each of them 2 (1.5%) patients. Conclusion: There are variety of causes of acute ataxia in children, putting in mind that there is many lives threatening condition can cause acute ataxia. The highest incidence of acute ataxia was observed in preschool age children. Males were found to be affected more than females. Every case with acute ataxia should be evaluated thoroughly starting with history, physical and neurological examination with appropriate laboratory and radiological investigations. Additionally; every case of acute ataxia should be admitted to hospital to exclude life threatening conditions for early detections of this conditions and starting appropriate treatment accordingly.