CT of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a progressive, frequently fatal slow virus infection of the brain attacking children and young adults and caused by measles virus. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain in 15 patients with this disease was normal in seven and abnormal in eight. CT demonstrated varying degrees of cortical atrophy associated with focal and multifocal low density lesions of the white matter. Two cases demonstrated low density lesions of the caudate nuclei. The CT lesions were seen in chronic cases and reflect the gliosis and atrophy that occur in this disease. Differential diagnoses include other viral infections and demyelinating and dysmyelinating diseases. Diagnostic laboratory evaluation includes serum and cerebrospinal fluid titers for measles antibodies, cerebrospinal fluid protein electrophoresis, electroencephalography, and cranial CT.