Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis associated with cytomegalovirus infection.

A 17-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital because of drowsiness, diplopia and gait difficulty. She had been well until ten days before admission when fever, drowsiness, headache and general fatigue developed. On admission, there were drowsiness, ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and hyporeflexia. CSF cells and anti-CMV antibody titers increased. CMV-DNA was detected in the CSF by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum anti-GQ1b antibody was positive. During recovery, forced laughing temporarily appeared. The neurological symptoms disappeared completely. CSF anti-CMV antibody titers became normalized and CSF CMV-DNA-PCR became negative. This is the first case report of Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis associated with CMV infection.