Cerebrospinal fluid cytokines in Salmonella urbana encephalopathy.

We present a case report of encephalopathy associated with Salmonella urbana infection in a child. A 5-year-old boy was admitted to our clinic with convulsions and coma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 were elevated at onset and were decreased within normal limit on the fifth day. Residual neurological deficits included severe mental deficits and spastic tetraplegia. High levels of CSF proinflammatory cytokines might be related to central nervous system (CNS) disease activity. Although encephalopathy is a rare complication of non-typhi Salmonella infection, it should be borne in mind as an occasionally serious and potentially lethal disease.