[Five patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis treated with intraventricular alpha-interferon and inosinpranobex].

We followed up 5 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) for 14 to 81 months. They were treated with alpha-interferon (INF-alpha) and oral inosinpranobex (INP) in an early stage of Jabbour stage II and within 5 months after the onset. On admission, Ommaya reservoir was implanted for the intrathecal administration of INF-alpha. The dose was 1 x 10(5) U/m2 initially and daily increased to 1 x 10(6) U/m2. A total dose of 30 x 10(6) U/m3 was given to them over a 4-weeks to 6-weeks period. After discharge, a dose of 15 x 10(6) U/m2 in three patients was given weekly and a dose of 30 x 10(6) U/m2 in the other patients. In addition, all patients received oral INP. One patient showed mild progression and remained in early stage of Jabbour stage II. In the remaining 4 patients, the disease progressed to Jabbour stage III. Despite the small number of patients studied here, the results suggest that treatment with INF-alpha plus oral INP is ineffective in an early stage of SSPE.