Reye’s syndrome

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Digestive system organs

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Reye’s syndrome

Symptoms:

A history of preceding URI or chickenpox (about 1 week previously)
Nausea and vomiting (possible)
Mental status changes
Lethargy
Confusion
Combative behavior
Loss of consciousness or coma may develop
Seizures
Unusual posturing (decerebrate posture -- the arms are extended straight and turned toward the body, the legs are held straight and the toes are pointed downward)

Other symptoms that may be associated with this disorder:

Weakness in arms or legs
Muscle function loss or paralysis of the arms or legs
Double vision
Speech difficulties
Hearing loss

Signs and tests:

Blood chemistry tests shows low glucose (hypoglycemia)
Elevated liver enzymes (liver function tests)
Elevated serum ammonia test
A liver biopsy
A spinal tap for cerebral spinal fluid analysis
A neurological examination
A head CT or head MRI scan that rules out other causes of mental status changes
A variety of other tests that may be indicated

Review Date: 7/17/2004
Reviewed By: John Goldenring, M.D., MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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