An autopsy case of subacute encephalopathy with disseminated necrosis

An autopsy case of subacute encephalopathy with disseminated necrosis was reported. The patient, a 34-year-old male, complained of headache and generalized convulsion. He also showed constructional apraxia and dementia. These symptoms progressed slowly. Neurological examinations revealed no abnormalities except for a slight optic nerve atrophy. Laboratory examinations disclosed a high ratio of the titer of antibody of rubella virus. Based on the findings mentioned above, he was diagnosed as atypical subacute encephalopathy, and because of his usage of thinner for 10 years, intoxication by it was also suspected. An autopsy of the brain revealed disseminated small necrosis in the gray matter over the whole brain. The relationship between the genesis which provoked the atypical clinical course and pathological findings was discussed.