Differences in clinical manifestations of influenza-associated encephalopathy by age

Data from patients in Japan was analyzed to examine the age distribution and differences by age in the clinical manifestations of influenza-associated encephalopathy. Between 1998 and 2002, 472 cases of influenza-associated encephalopathy in patients aged 15 years or younger were reported to the Collaborative Study Group on Influenza-Associated Encephalopathy. These cases were divided into two groups by age: 0–5 and 6–15 years. The differences between the groups were estimated based on the data for those aged 0–5 years, and the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals calculated. Distribution was inversely correlated with age, with a peak at 1–2 years old. In comparison with patients aged 0–5, those aged 6–15 years had a significantly greater incidence of type B infection, lower frequency of convulsions, higher frequency of loss of consciousness and altered consciousness as the initial neurological symptom, lower serum transaminase levels, lower frequency of low-density area for brain CT upon admission, and lower incidence of sequelae. Our analysis indicates that the clinical course, laboratory data, and brain imaging findings of influenza-associated encephalopathy exhibits patterns that vary with age.