Neurological abnormalities | Complications of scarlet fever

Neurological abnormalities

The neurological abnormalities after a streptococcal infection can be summarized in three main clinical pictures. Tourette’s syndrome is a disease that causes so-called tics. These usually occur in the form of very sudden movements.

Characteristic for the disease are also aggressive expressions that suddenly bubble out of affected persons. PANDAS is a disease that usually only occurs in children. It can only be triggered by a streptococcal infection such as scarlet fever and manifests itself through psychological symptoms such as sleep disorders, depression, irritability, anxiety.

The disease has not yet been sufficiently researched, which is why the therapy so far consists of antibiotics. Since PANDAS occurs as a reaction of the immune system to the streptococcal infection, an immunosuppressive therapy, i.e. a treatment that shuts down the immune system, can also be considered. Chorea minor also occurs a few weeks after scarlet fever and manifests itself by grimacing, difficulty swallowing and difficulty controlling the tongue muscles. Treatment consists of a high dose of antibiotics.

Joint Pain

Joint pain can already occur during scarlet fever. Similar to the flu, these occur in the form of muscle pain during fever attacks. But polyarthritis can also occur after the actual illness.

This develops in the context of acute rheumatic fever. Mostly single large joints like knee, hip, shoulder, elbow are affected. The pain usually moves from one joint to another. The therapy in this case consists of antibiotics, painkillers and possibly cortisone.