Progressive epilepsy due to chronic persistent encephalitis

Four patients are reported who in the first decade of life developed intractable seizures, progressive dementia and a neurological deficit in the form of hemiplegia or quadriplegia. Pneumoencephalograms showed focal dilatation of lateral ventricles in 3 and generalised dilatation in 1 case. Electroencephalograms showed evidence of focal spike activity in 3 patients. These were operated upon for the relief of intractable seizures and in 1 patient...