Adult onset subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Report of two cases with an atypical presentation

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is an infrequent central nervous system viral disease and is a late manifestation of persistent infection by a mut ant form of measles virus. Since it affects mainly children and teenagers, the diagnosis in older ages is difficult. Its main clinical symptoms are co gnitive impairment, behavioral disturbances and myoclonia. We report two ma les, aged 21 and 22 years old, presenting with the disease with atypical ma nifestations. One had a catatonic syndrome and the other, amaurosis. The re cognition of the different presentation forms of the disease, endemic in de veloping countries, allows an earlier diagnosis and a more efficient treatm ent, when available.