Steroid-dependent postvaricella encephalomyelitis.

Postinfectious encephalomyelitis is an acute demyelinating illness that usually has its onset 3 to 7 days after the onset of a viral exanthem and has a monophasic course over 2 to 4 weeks. Recurrent bouts of postinfectious encephalomyelitis have been described that have resolved spontaneously or with short courses of steroid therapy. We report a patient who developed a chronic, steroid-dependent encephalomyelitis secondary to a varicella infection at 5 months of age.