Serial magnetic resonance imaging in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of a 17-year-old girl with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) was done several times to monitor the morphological changes and clinical course of the disease by comparison with computed tomographic (CT) scans. The MR image showed lesions that corresponded to the clinical symptoms in the early stages where no abnormalities appeared on the CT scans. The MR images delineated the extent of abnormal areas more clearly than the CT scans. However, the course of neurological manifestations did not always correspond to the MR findings. Serial MR imaging was useful in the detection and observation of the stages and clinical progress of SSPE.