Unusual MRI and pathologic findings of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy complicating adult Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

Neurology. 1997 Jan;48(1):279-82. doi: 10.1212/wnl.48.1.279.

Abstract

We present a long-surviving patient with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome complicated by atypical progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). MRI showed multiple tiny spots of Gd-DTPA-enhanced lesions on the T1-weighted image. Pathologic findings for brain biopsy were patchy demyelinated vascularized lesions infiltrated by a surprising number of eosinophils. The presence of polyomavirus JC was confirmed by in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. PML should be included in the differential diagnosis when Gd-DTPA-enhanced spotty lesions are present in the white matter, especially in patients who have a mild immunologic defect.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / pathology
  • Gadolinium DTPA
  • Humans
  • Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / complications*
  • Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / diagnosis*
  • Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / pathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Pentetic Acid / analogs & derivatives
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome / complications*

Substances

  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Pentetic Acid
  • Gadolinium DTPA