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Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia — Caused by Polyoma Virus?
Author(s) -
Rausing Alf,
Axelsson Uno
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0036-553X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1970.tb01886.x
Subject(s) - progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy , autopsy , pathology , medicine , leukoencephalopathy , etiology , coma (optics) , disease , virus , immunology , optics , physics
In a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a patient with 6 years' history of chronic lymphatic leukaemia, the onset of the disease was characterized by visual disorders which progressed to blindness within a month to be followed by pareses and apathy. The patient died in a state of coma 5 months after onset. Autopsy revealed extensive changes typical of PML in the brain and spinal cord. By the negative staining method and in ultrathin sections electron microscopy showed virus‐like particles which, as in previous cases of PML, resembled polyoma virions. The possibility of this disease should be borne in mind in the investigation of obscure neurological complications of chronic diseases, especially lymphoproliferative conditions, because the examination of unfixed material as early as possible post mortem is necessary for confirming the suspected viral aetiology of the disease.