ArticleNeurology2026
Role of Tocilizumab in Severe CNS Inflammatory Presentations in Children.
Article in Neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesAnti-interleukin 6 receptor (anti-IL6R) therapies have been proven to reduce relapse rates in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and are under investigation in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). One anti-IL6R therapy, tocilizumab (TCZ), has been reported as a treatment option in cases of life-threatening MOGAD attacks. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of IV-TCZ for acute and severe CNS inflammatory events in children.
methodsThis retrospective study reviewed medical records of children younger than 18 years treated with IV-TCZ for acute-severe CNS inflammation at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 2022 and 2025, excluding those with new-onset refractory status epilepticus without evidence of CNS inflammation. Clinical features, imaging, serum and CSF profiles, treatments, and outcomes were assessed, with primary evaluation of TCZ response within 72 hours postadministration.
resultsEleven patients were included, of whom 8 demonstrated clinical improvement within 72 hours of IV-TCZ administration. Outcomes included rapid intracranial pressure reduction, recovery in relapsing optic neuritis and myelitis, and improvement in RANBP2-related acute necrotizing encephalopathy. No acute adverse effects were observed. One patient died despite immunotherapy. CSF cytokine panels showed elevated IL-6 in 5 patients, with normal serum IL-6 concentrations. Three of the 5 showed a response to TCZ. DISCUSSION: TCZ may offer potential benefit in select neuroinflammatory conditions, although clinical trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and guide use in such scenarios. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class IV evidence that TCZ improves clinical outcomes in children with acute-severe CNS inflammatory events.
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