title: An initial MRI picture of limbic encephalitis in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare and severe long-term complication of measles. Hallmarks of this entity include progressive cognitive decline, myoclonia, a generalized periodic pattern on EEG and deep white matter abnormalities on MRI. However, imaging can be normal in early stages.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We report herein the case of a previously healthy 13-years-old girl with an unusual radiological presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  She presented with unilateral myoclonia, cognitive decline with memory impairment and a first brain MRI with swelling of both hippocampi mimicking limbic encephalitis. Measles antibodies were positive in CSF and the EEG showed slow periodic complexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This unusual radiological presentation has never been described in SSPE. Relationship between virus and limbic system are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Neurologie et de Neurorehabilitation Pédiatrique, Département Médico-Chirurgical de Pédiatrie, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland. Sebastien.Lebon@chuv.ch
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lebon
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maeder
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeder-Ingvar
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poloni
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayor-Dubois
authors.forename: Eliane
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roulet-Perez
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Jeannet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020363:Limbic Encephalitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*