Benign regressive post-infectious neurological disorders (BRPINDs) refer to a group of neurological disorders and must be differentiated from the more malignant and progressive post-infectious neurological disorders such as SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalomyelitis) or rubella panencephalitis.
Benign regressive postinfectious neurological disorders (BRPIND) include:
- post-infectious encephalomyelitis (acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, ADEM)
- postinfectious cerebellitis (variant of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis)
- post-infectious transverse myelitis
- optic neuritis in children
- neuromyelitis optica
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
That have the following main characteristics:
- these disorders are commonly postinfectious of postvaccination in origin (developing within 5 days to 3-5 weeks after infection or vaccination
- they are inflammatory demyelinative white matter diseases in nature characterized pathologically by autoimmune demyelination, breakdown of blood brain barrier with the development of vasogenic edema and contrast enhancement in the acute stage
- the MRI signal changes (mainly MRI T2 hyperintensities) observed in these disorders are mainly due to the development of vasogenic edema
- they commonly have an acute onset and a regressive course
- they commonly have a benign course with good prognosis and full functional recovery should be expected in most cases