MRI FINDINGS IN SUBACUTE SCLEROSING PANENCEPHALITIS

Thirty-four MRI studies of 26 patients with subacute sclerosing panenc ephalitis are reported. Lesions of high signal intensity on T-2-weight ed images are the most common finding; they frequently involve the per iventricular or subcortical white matter. Lesions tend to start in the cortex-subcortical white matter and progress with periventricular whi te matter involvement and diffuse cerebral atrophy. Pial and parenchym al contrast enhancement, local mass effect of parenchymal lesions, and involvement of the splenic portion of the corpus callosum are not inf requent. 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 whit e matter lesions and cerebral atrophy did not reflect the neurologic s tatus in many patients.