A CASE OF LANDAU-KLEFFNER SYNDROME SECONDARY TO INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING DISEASE

A 6-year old girl developed acquired aphasia with epilepsy and a parox ysmal EEG (Landau-Kleffner syndrome). Isoelectric CSF focusing showed oligoclonal IgG bands. Small lesions were visualized in periventricula r left frontal white matter and right parietal lobe centrum semiovale with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After a week of ACTH therapy, t he EEG paroxysmal activity disappeared; during the next few months, th e language disorder improved. Further MRI examination showed a decreas e in size and signal of the left frontal lesions, with localized white matter atrophy, dilatation of the subarachnoidal spaces, and disappea rance of the right parietal lesion. The clinical and neuroradiologic f eatures and the laboratory data suggest an acute disseminated encephal omyelitis.