[Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: combined treatment with interferon alpha and intraventricular ribavirin]

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease secondary to an infection of the central nervous system by the measles virus, with no effective treatment. The introduction of therapy with intraventricular interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) and its later association with ribavirin aroused new expectations. In experimental studies the two drugs were seen to exert a synergic effect in reducing viral replication. Therapeutic studies carried out in patients with SSPE with the two pharmaceuticals have offered contradictory findings.

We present the cases of two patients with an early-onset, fast progressing form of SSPE, who were treated with a combined regime of oral isoprenosin, intraventricular IFN-alpha and ribavirin, which was administered intravenously in one case and intraventricularly in the other. At the beginning of treatment the patients' deterioration stabilised briefly and temporarily, but then renewed its progress.

Combined therapy with intraventricular IFN-alpha and ribavirin was not effective in our patients. The late onset and rapidly progressing symptoms of the disease may have had an effect on the poor results obtained.