PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN SUBACUTE SCLEROSING PANENCEPHALITIS - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL EVIDENCE

A patient with SSPE who had prominent diffuse white matter hypodensiti es on CT scan indicating central white matter demyelination and nerve conduction abnormalities suggestive of peripheral neuropathy is report ed. Diagnosis was established by demonstration of elevated CSF measles antibody titers and presence of virus antigen and nucleocapsid in per ipheral nerve. To our knowledge, this is the first report of demonstra tion of measles virus nucleocapsides and antigen in the peripheral ner ve in SSPE.