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Risk factors for the occurrence and recurrence of acute cerebellar ataxia: a retrospective observational study

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Abstract

Objective

There is little evidence to support a correlation between abdominal surgery and acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA). We reviewed the records of children with ACA treated at our institution to analyze risk factors for ACA.

Methods

Clinical data of 442 children with ACA treated at Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between November 2015 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk factors for the occurrence and recurrence of ACA.

Results

In total, 442 children with ACA were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age (p = 0.009), infection (p < 0.001), vaccination (p < 0.001), head trauma (p < 0.001), intussusception surgery (IS) (p < 0.001), operation for indirect inguinal hernia (p < 0.001), and operation for congenital gastrointestinal malformation (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for ACA occurrence. Univariate analysis showed that only IS (p < 0.001) was associated with ACA recurrence.

Conclusions

Surgeons should be aware that age, infection, vaccination, head trauma, and history of abdominal surgery are associated with ACA, while IS is a risk factor for ACA recurrence.

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Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81901513), Key Project of Science and Technology Development of Nanjing health committee, China (ZKX18037) and Jiangsu Youth Medical Talent Project, China (QNRC2016081).

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Zhongxian Zhu, Weiwei Jiang, Wei Li and Weibing Tang carried out the concepts, design, definition of intellectual content, literature search, data acquisition and data analysis. Zhongxian zhu drafted the manuscript and Weibing Tang revised it critically. Jie Zhang, Xiaofeng Lv, Changgui Lu, Huan Chen, Wei Li provided assistance for data acquisition, analysis and interpretation. Hongxing Li, Hua Xie, Jie Tang, Chunxia Du, Guanglin Chen, Qiming Geng participated in data acquisition.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weibing Tang.

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Ethical approval

This retrospective review study involving human participants was in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Human Investigation Committee (IRB) of Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University approved this study.

Informed consent

Informed consent was not required as this study was observational, and all data collected were anonymized.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no confict of interest to disclose.

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Zhu, Z., Jiang, W., Li, W. et al. Risk factors for the occurrence and recurrence of acute cerebellar ataxia: a retrospective observational study. Neurol Sci 43, 1067–1070 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05362-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05362-4

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