Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An additional case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, occurring in a 41 year old man with chronic lymphatic leukemia, is described. With the exception of a single seizure 5 days before death, he was asymptomatic from a neurological standpoint. Neuropathologic studies demonstrated the typical changes of multifocal leukoencephalopathy; lesions tended to be relatively restricted in extent, compared with those encountered in previously reported instances of this disorder. An unusual cytological feature was the presence of large sharply defined hyaline-like bodies often containing clumps of basophilic material resembling nuclear chromatin; not hitherto observed in this disease, they are tentatively identified as Russell bodies, presumably derived from plasma cells found in the inflammatory exudate. Current concepts of causation of this disorder are reviewed. Recent ultrastructural observations would appear to support the hypothesis that this disease is due to a viral infection of the nervous system in the presence of reduced tissue immunity.