You Are Here » Reye's Syndrome » What is Reye's Syndrome?
Reye's Syndrome
Contents of this Article
|
|
- Treatment of Reye's Syndrome
- Prognosis of Reye's Syndrome
|
- Research Being Done
- Organizations
|
What is Reye's Syndrome?
Reye's syndrome (RS) is primarily a children's disease, although it can occur at any age.
It affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and the liver, causing an acute increase of pressure within the brain and, often, massive accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs.
Reye's syndrome is defined as a two-phase illness because it generally occurs in conjunction with a previous viral infection, such as the flu or chicken pox. The disorder commonly occurs during recovery from a viral infection, although it can also develop 3 to 5 days after the onset of the viral illness.
Reye's syndrome is often misdiagnosed as encephalitis, meningitis, diabetes, drug overdose, poisoning, sudden infant death syndrome, or psychiatric illness.
Back To Top
References:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
February 2007
www.ninds.nih.gov
|