DOUBLE PATHOLOGY IN RASMUSSENS ENCEPHALITIS - ETIOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS

In a 7-year-old girl with epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) involving the left face, arm, and leg for 1 year, serial neuroimaging studies s howed progressive, brain atrophy. Because medical treatment was ineffe ctive, she underwent a large fronto-temporal surgical resection. Neuro pathological examination showed loss of lamination and dysplastic neur ons, gliosis, microglial nodules, and perivascular cuffing. Such ''dou ble pathology'' (dysgenesia and a chronic inflammatory process) may ha ve implications for the pathophysiology of Rasmussen's syndrome.