title: Long-term follow-up of a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis successfully treated with intrathecal interferon alpha.
abstract: To clarify long-term effects of intrathecal administration of interferon (IFN)-alpha in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), we followed up a patient with SSPE for 18 years, who had been treated successfully using intrathecal IFN-alpha with response-based dose adjustments. IFN-alpha therapy dramatically induced remission of disease and greatly improved quality of life for 7-8 years, but this was followed by severely deterioration with decorticate posturing and akinetic mutism. Thus, IFN-alpha-induced remission appears most likely to be temporary, even when an SSPE patient shows an excellent initial response. To improve long-term outcome for SSPE patients, more effective therapy is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan. mat@lilac.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha