Original Articles
Marwan M. Al Buhtori
Abstract
Febrile convulsion is a common disorder in children. Viral infections such as human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) which results in roseolainfantum may contribute to developing seizure. The objective of this study was to test cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the detection of HHV-6 DNA in a group of children in Damascus with febrile convulsion of whom bacterial involvement had been ruled out. In this cross-sectional study, CSF from90 children between 7 month-8 years of age with neurological disorders characterized by febrile convulsion was evaluated for detecting HHV-6 DNA by PCR. All of them were referred to emergency department in Damascus Hospital or Alassad University Hospital from December 2013 to February 2015. Ninety children including 48 males and 42 females were enrolled in the study. HHV-6 DNA was detected from CSF in three patients (3.3%) by PCR. All the HHV-6 DNA positive children were younger than two years. The most common primary manifestations were fever and convulsion. None of them had rash. These findings showed that primary infection with HHV-6 is frequently associated with febrile convulsion in children less than two years old and detecting the HHV-6 DNA by PCR is recommended in those children, for initiating the proper antiviral therapy.