Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease
of the central nervous system which occurs predominantly in the pediatric population.
Acute treatment is high-dose intravenous glucocorticoids. Alternative treatment is
usually intravenous immune globulin and/or plasma exchange. Fulminant ADEM is rare
in children. Only a few cases of cyclophosphamide use in refractory ADEM have been
reported. Here, we report a case of a 12-year-old girl with fulminant ADEM who was
comatose and improved dramatically after cyclophosphamide administration. Cyclophosphamide
treatment should be considered as a therapy in children with fulminant ADEM nonresponsive
to standard therapies.
Keywords
acute disseminated encephalomyelitis - intravenous immune globulin - cyclophosphamide