Ten cases of herpetic encephalitis in children aged 2 months to 13 1/2 years at onset are reviewed retrospectively. There were four infants and six children 3 to 13 1/2 years old. Diagnosis was established on the basis of widely accepted electroclincal and neuroradiological criteria. Biologic confirmation was obtained in only half the cases. Two patients died during the initial episode. One patient was lost to follow-up two months after the first episode. Follow-ups ranged from 2 to 10 years for the seven remaining patients. Epilepsy and neurodevelopmental impairment occurred in a significant number of cases (5/7 and 6/7 respectively). Two patients had two episodes and one had more than two episodes of encephalitis. This poor outcome is discussed, as well as possible explanations for recurrent disease and particular neuropsychologic patterns, including Kluver-Bucy syndrome seen in two patients of this series.