Clinical and Radiological Evaluation of Children with Subacute Sclerosan Panencephalitis

• Main Authors: Ahmet İrdem, Sultan Ecer, M. Nuri Özbek, Hatice Öztürkmen Akay, Celal Devecioglu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2004-01-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Meales; Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis; Cranial MRI
• Online Access: http://4181.indexcopernicus.com/fulltxt.php?ICID=887857
• ISSN: 1300-2945; 1308-9889

A total of 65 children with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) who admittedto our clinic between September 1998 and December 2002 were retrospectively evaluated interms of clinical and radiological findings.The most common symptoms and findings at admission were myoklonia (31 patients, 47%), behaveral changes (18 patients, 27.7 %) and convulsion (8 patients, 12 %). There was atrauma history initiating symptoms in 14 patients (21.5 %). Neurological symptoms presentedsignificantly earlier in patients who had measles before 2 years of age compared to others(p< 0.05). There was no correlation between latent period and age at the time of meales(p>0.05). The clinical stage of the patients at admission was determined based on Risk veHaddad classification. The most frequent stage was IIA (21 patients, 32.2%), IIC (17patients, 26.2%) and IIB (16 patients, 24.6%). At the follow-up period, 46 (71%) patients wasdepended to bed. The mean time interval between SSPE initiation age and bed dependencywas 4.68 ± 4.05 months (1-17 months).Of the 31 patients who underwent cranial magnetic rezonans imaging (MRI), 15patients (48.38%) had pathological findings, the most frequent findings were cortical vesubcortical lesions. Of the 24 patients who underwent cranial tomographi, 22 (91.6%) werenormal. Of the remaining two, one had atrophy and the other had increase in contrast. All ofthe patients underwent rutine EEG test. Fifty-four (83.1%) of these had periodic complexhigh slow wave activity.The clinical findings and Electro Encephalographi results are important parameters inthe diagnosis of SSPE. Cranial tomographi is not useful in the diagnosis of SSPE. However,cranial MRI findings is pathologic only in the half of the patients.