View source for Acute cerebellar ataxia of childhood

=== Clinic ===

* It is a childhood condition characterized by an unsteady gait
* Most likely secondary to an autoimmune response to infection, drug induced or paraneoplastic. 

The most common viral causes are

* VZV 
* EBV 
* INFL
* CXA, CXB, ECHO

Bacterial cause

* Mycoplasma pneumoniae 



=== Signs / Symptoms ===

* Acute cerebellar ataxia usually follows 2–3 weeks after an infection.
* Onset is abrupt.
* Vomiting may be present at the onset but fever and nuchal rigidity characteristically are absent.
* Horizontal nystagmus is present in approximately 50% of cases.

* [[Truncal ataxia]] with deterioration of gait
* [[Dysarthria|Slurred speech]] and [[nystagmus]]
* Afebrile

=== Cause ===
Possible causes of acute cerebellar ataxia include varicella infection, as well as infection with influenza, Epstein–Barr virus, Coxsackie virus, Echo virus or mycoplasma.