The Neurological Manifestations of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency Syndromes

A major portion of all of acute child neurology involves the neurological complications of infectious diseases. However, none of the currently available excellent texts on inf- tious disease focus specifically on the neurological aspects. Drs. Neil R. Friedman and Leslie L. Barton have filled this important void with a superb, multi-authored text, addressing directly “the neurological manifestations of pediatric infectious diseases and immunodeficiency syndromes. ” The book is organized logically according to the responsible microorganisms and addresses sequentially a broad spectrum of viruses, bacteria, fungi, rickettsiae, spirochetes, mycobacteriae, and parasites, as well as cat-scratch disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The chapters are consistently similar in organization and begin with an introduction that provides a synopsis and perspective. The substance of the chapters follows in sections devoted to epidemiology, pathog- esis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and references. The discussions of epidemiology are particularly informative and current. The sections on pathogenesis include valuable neuropathology and critical distinctions among disorders caused by primary infection by the microorganism and those related to parainfectious and postinfectious immunological phenomena. The sections on clinical manifestations emphasize the neurological features and often are subdivided into specific neurolo- cal syndromes. Results of modern brain imaging are illustrated, and tables highlight neurological and other features. Sections on diagnosis are especially valuable and emphasize the value of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and related means of identifying microbial nucleic acids and proteins. The discussions of treatment are especially current and valuable.