Acute cerebellar ataxia

Ataxia may affect movement of the middle part of the body from the neck to the hip area (the trunk) or the arms and legs (limbs). When the child is sitting, the body may move side-to-side, back-to-front, or both, and quickly move back to an upright position.When a person with ataxia of the arms reaches for an object, their hand may sway back and forth. Common symptoms of ataxia are listed below.

• Sudden, uncoordinated movement
• Walking problems (unsteady gait)
• Suddeneye movements (nystagmus)
• Clumsy speech pattern (dysarthria)

The doctor will ask you if you have been recently sick, and try to rule out any other causes for the problem. The following tests may be done.

• Cerebrospinal fluid studies (CSF total protein )
• CT or MRI scan of the head

Eicher T. Toxic encephalopathies. Neurol Clin.May 2005; 23(2): 353-76.

Cohen J, Powderly WG. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2004:309.

Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober CG. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2003:147-148, 296-297.

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