Central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis in children: a review of 76 patients

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the causes and contributing factors, neurologic presentation, and outcomes of central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis and to examine any trends in the presentation and course of these disorders over the past 50 years. Seventy-six pediatric cases were identified in the literature. Age, sex, decade of diagnosis, neurologic presentation, outcome, and attributed causes were extracted. The results showed that the diagnosis, course, and outcomes of central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis clearly have changed over the past few decades. Early cases generally were diagnosed at autopsy as opposed to computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging more recently. Ninety-four percent of cases prior to 1990 and only 7% of cases from 1990 onward resulted in patient mortality. The decade in which the case was reported was the strongest predictor of outcome (P < .001), followed by sodium dysregulation (P = .045) and dehydration (P = .07).