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. 2022 Aug;122(4):1043-1047.
doi: 10.1007/s13760-021-01785-0. Epub 2021 Aug 24.

From influenza to SARS-CoV-2: etiological evaluation of acute benign childhood myositis

Emine Tekin  1 , Handan Ayhan Akoğlu  2
Affiliations

From influenza to SARS-CoV-2: etiological evaluation of acute benign childhood myositis

Emine Tekin et al. Acta Neurol Belg. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Aim: To present the etiological evaluation results of our acute benign childhood myositis cases.

Materials and methods: Children, who were referred to pediatric neurology outpatient clinic in Maternity and Children's Hospital, with difficulty in walking and high creatinine kinase levels were evaluated. Viral and bacterial serological evaluation of children were performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction method.

Results: Twenty-five children (21 M,4 F) included in the study. The most common complaints were walking difficulty and tenderness, pain on the gastrocnemius muscles. Their creatine kinase levels were between 216 and 8770 IU. Twenty-two children were hospitalized. Analgesic, intravenous fluid, antibiotic and/or antiviral drugs were given. The most common etiologies were influenza A and B. One children was diagnosed as suspected COVID-19 by the symptoms and the findings in thorax computerized tomography but the SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody tests were negative.

Conclusion: School-aged children admitted to hospital with walking difficulty generally after an upper respiratory tract infection with a moderate creatine kinase elevation should remind at first acute benign myositis. Resolution of the complaints in a short time and normalisation of the biochemical markers will prevent unnecessary tests. Endemic and pandemic infections may cause this entity as well.

Keywords: Acute benign myositis; Childhood; Creatine kinase.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

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