An acute variant of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: an autopsy case report.

An acute variant of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) was described in a 5-year-old boy who showed rapid progression of coma within 14 days of right hemiplegia. He had measles at 3 years of age. The diagnosis of SSPE was based on the following findings: high anti-measles antibody titer in the serum and in the spinal fluid, periodic complex of EEG, and typical pathological changes of the brain. Treatment with transfer factor failed to improve the worsening clinical course. It is suggested that SSPE should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute fulminating encephalitides or intracranial vascular lesions.