---
title: "Influenza-associated Benign Acute Childhood Myositis: Clinical Course and 6-Month Outcomes (2024–2"
id: "pubmed-42768399"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42768399"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Critical Care"
source_name: "PubMed / NCBI"
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/"
doi: "10.1097/INF.0000000000005417"
published_at: "2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Article"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Influenza-associated Benign Acute Childhood Myositis: Clinical Course and 6-Month Outcomes (2024–2
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42768399
- **Specialty:** [Critical Care](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/critical-care.md)
- **Primary Source:** PubMed / NCBI
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/)
- **DOI:** [10.1097/INF.0000000000005417](https://doi.org/10.1097%2FINF.0000000000005417)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Article
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- This retrospective study evaluated **benign acute childhood myositis (BACM)** among children with laboratory-confirmed influenza during the 2024–2025 season. - Among 11,528 children with confirmed influenza between October 2024 and March 2025, 82 met BACM diagnostic criteria and were analyzed; mean age was **6.8 ± 2.1 years** (range 3–14), and 55 were boys. - Cases included 27 associated with **influenza A** and 55 associated with **influenza B**. - Leg pain or gait disturbance developed 1–9 days after influenza symptom onset and resolved within 3–5 days in the cohort. - First-presentation venous measurements were used for laboratory comparisons; urinalysis and serum creatinine were normal in all patients at presentation. - No patient required intensive care or renal replacement therapy during the illness. - Influenza B-associated cases had higher **myoglobin**, more frequent **CK-MB ≥50 U/L**, and lower white blood cell and platelet counts compared with influenza A-associated cases; the authors note these are exploratory differences and do not establish greater severity or myocardial injury. - At 6 months, caregivers reported no recurrence, readmission, or persistent muscular or neurologic symptoms in any patient. - The authors conclude BACM in this cohort was brief and self-limited with favorable 6-month outcomes; cardiac troponin I and echocardiography may help interpret CK-MB elevations when myocardial involvement is suspected. - No funding conflicts were declared by the authors in the report.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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Online ahead of print. # Influenza-associated Benign Acute Childhood Myositis: Clinical Course, 6-Month Outcomes and an Exploratory Comparison of Influenza A and B (2024-2025 Season) [Weiwei Du](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Du+W&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#full-view-affiliation-1 "From the Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China."), [Jiaxin Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+J&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#full-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Qiang Chen](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Chen+Q&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#full-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Aiqun Tang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Tang+A&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#full-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Haohui Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+H&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#full-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China.") Affiliations Expand ### Affiliations * 1 From the Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. * 2 Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China. * PMID: **42768399** * DOI: [ 10.1097/INF.0000000000005417 ](https://doi.org/10.1097/inf.0000000000005417) Item in Clipboard # Influenza-associated Benign Acute Childhood Myositis: Clinical Course, 6-Month Outcomes and an Exploratory Comparison of Influenza A and B (2024-2025 Season) Weiwei Du et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2026. Show details Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Pediatr Infect Dis J Actions * [ Search in PubMed ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Pediatr+Infect+Dis+J%22%5Bjour%5D&sort=date&sort_order=desc) * [ Search in NLM Catalog ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog?term=%22Pediatr+Infect+Dis+J%22%5BTitle+Abbreviation%5D) * [ Add to Search ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/) . 2026 Sep 22. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000005417. Online ahead of print. ### Authors [Weiwei Du](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Du+W&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#short-view-affiliation-1 "From the Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China."), [Jiaxin Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+J&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#short-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Qiang Chen](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Chen+Q&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#short-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Aiqun Tang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Tang+A&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#short-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China."), [Haohui Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+H&cauthor_id=42768399)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/#short-view-affiliation-2 "Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China.") ### Affiliations * 1 From the Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China. * 2 Department of Pediatrics, Sheyang County People's Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China. * PMID: **42768399** * DOI: [ 10.1097/INF.0000000000005417 ](https://doi.org/10.1097/inf.0000000000005417) Item in Clipboard Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID ## Abstract **Background:** To characterize the severity, clinical course, and 6-month outcomes of influenza-associated benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) during the 2024-2025 season and to explore differences between cases associated with influenza A and B. **Methods:** We retrospectively analyzed 82 children who met the BACM diagnostic criteria and none of the exclusion criteria among 11,528 children with laboratory-confirmed influenza between October 2024 and March 2025. Clinical features, first-presentation laboratory findings and outcomes were compared between influenza A- and B-associated cases. Venous measurements were based on the first sample obtained during evaluation for leg pain or gait disturbance. **Results:** The 82 patients (mean age, 6.8 ± 2.1 years; range, 3-14 years) included 55 boys, 27 influenza A cases and 55 influenza B cases. Leg pain or gait disturbance developed 1-9 days after influenza symptom onset and resolved within 3-5 days. None required intensive care or renal replacement therapy; first-presentation urinalysis and serum creatinine were normal in all patients. Influenza B-associated cases had higher myoglobin, more frequently had creatine kinase (CK)-MB ≥50 U/L, and had lower white blood cell and platelet counts. At 6 months, caregivers reported no recurrence, readmission or persistent muscular or neurologic symptoms. **Conclusions:** Influenza-associated BACM was brief and self-limited, with favorable 6-month outcomes. Influenza B-associated cases had higher myoglobin and more often had CK-MB ≥50 U/L, but these exploratory findings do not establish greater severity or myocardial injury. Management should be individualized; cardiac troponin I and echocardiography may help contextualize CK-MB elevation when myocardial involvement is suspected. **Keywords:** benign acute childhood myositis; children; clinical course; influenza. Copyright © 2026 Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC. All rights reserved. [PubMed Disclaimer](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disclaimer/) ## Conflict of interest statement The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose. ## References 1. 1. Attaianese F, Costantino A, Benucci C, et al. Benign acute children myositis: 5 years experience in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Eur J Pediatr. 2023;182:4341–4349. 2. 1. Ferrarini A, Lava SA, Simonetti GD, et al.; Swiss Italian Society of Pediatrics. Influenza virus B-associated acute benign myalgia cruris: an outbreak report and review of the literature. Neuromuscul Disord. 2014;24:342–346. 3. 1. Majava E, Renko M, Kuitunen I. Benign acute childhood myositis: a scoping review of clinical presentation and viral etiology. Eur J Pediatr. 2024;183:4641–4647. 4. 1. Pari P, Manikandan E, Jose P, et al. Benign acute childhood myositis following human influenza B virus infection—a case series. Trop Doct. 2023;53:148–150. 5. 1. Chinese National Influenza Center. China Influenza Surveillance Weekly Report, Week 52, 2024 (No. 837). Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; 2025. Available at: . Accessed August 23, 2026. Show all 22 references ## Grants and funding * [ YK2024207/Medical Research Project of Yancheng Municipal Health Commission ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=YK2024207%2FMedical+Research+Project+of+Yancheng+Municipal+Health+Commission%5BGrants+and+Funding%5D&sort=date&sort_order=desc "All articles for grant YK2024207/Medical Research Project of Yancheng Municipal Health Commission") [x] Cite Copy Download .nbib .nbib Format: AMA APA MLA NLM **Send To** * [Clipboard](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/) * [Email](https://account.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?back_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F42768399%2F%23open-email-panel) * [Save](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/) * [My Bibliography](https://account.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?back_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F42768399%2F%23open-bibliography-panel) * [Collections](https://account.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?back_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F42768399%2F%23open-collections-panel) * [Citation Manager](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42768399/) [x] NCBI Literature Resources [MeSH](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/) [PMC](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/) [Bookshelf](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books) [Disclaimer](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disclaimer/) The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 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