MRI findings in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Thirty-four MRI studies of 26 patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis are reported. Lesions of high signal intensity on T2-weighted images are the most common finding; they frequently involve the periventricular or subcortical white matter. Lesions tend to start in the cortex-subcortical white matter and progress with periventricular white matter involvement and diffuse cerebral atrophy. Pial and parenchymal contrast enhancement, local mass effect of parenchymal lesions, and involvement of the splenic portion of the corpus callosum are not infrequent. Basal ganglia and brainstem lesions were rare in this series. Although cortical and subcortical lesions have some correlation with clinical findings, the extent and location of the periventricular white matter lesions and cerebral atrophy did not reflect the neurologic status in many patients.