title: Childhood-onset nonprogressive chronic encephalitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe a series of patients with pathologically proven chronic encephalitis who had a nonprogressive course during a long follow-up, suggestive of a "benign" variant of Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients who were referred to our Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at London Health Science Centre in London, Ontario, were diagnosed with chronic encephalitis on a pathological basis after epilepsy surgery to treat their partial-onset seizures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of our four cases followed the typical course of RE despite their childhood-onset seizures between ages 2 and 12years. One was preceded by a mild head trauma and fever at onset. None had epilepsia partialis continua (EPC). Their long-term follow-up revealed a nonprogressive form of the syndrome with respect to the neurological examination, EEG, MRI, and neuropsychological findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These cases extend the spectrum of childhood-onset intractable epilepsy with chronic encephalitis to include nonprogressive variants of RE. The absence of EPC may be a prognostic indicator of a nonprogressive course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rizek
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.affiliation: Psychology Services, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hayman-Abello
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Donald H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Pathology, Western University, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Canada. Electronic address: smirsat2@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Seyed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mirsattari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: CE; Chronic encephalitis; EEG; EPC; Epilepsia partialis continua; Epilepsy surgery; MRI; Natural history; Nonprogressive variant; RE; Rasmussen's; Rasmussen's encephalitis; chronic encephalitis; electroencephalography; epilepsia partialis continua; magnetic resonance imaging