Abstract
Three hundred forty patients were diagnosed with pertussis infection at the Pediatric Clinic of the University of Catania, Sicily during the period 1979–1994. None of these patients had been previously vaccinated. Fourteen developed neurological complications at some point in their course, which took the form of seizures (both febrile and afebrile) and, in some cases, encephalopathy. Serious permanent neurological sequelae were not observed in this series of patients though they had pertussis severe enough to require hospitalization.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Davis LE, Burstyn DG, Manclark CR (1984) Pertussis encephalopathy with normal brain biopsy and elevated lymphocytosis promoting factor antibodies. Pediatr Infect Dis 3: 448–451
Dolgopol VB (1984) Changes in the brain in pertussis with convulsions. Arch Neurol Psychiatry 46: 477–503
Dolphin AG (1987) Nucleotide binding proteins in signal transduction and disease. Trends Neurosci 10: 53–57
Menkes J, Kinsbourne M (1990) Workshop on neurologic complications of pertussis and pertussis vaccination. Neuropediatrics 21: 171–176
Watts CC, Acosta C (1966) Pertussis and bilateral subdural hematomas. Am J Dis Child 118: 518–519
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Incorpora, G., Pavone, L., Parano, E. et al. Neurological complications in hospitalized patients with pertussis: a 15-year Sicilian experience. Child's Nerv Syst 12, 332–335 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301022
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301022