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Richard P. Morse, MD

Arch Neurol. 2004;61:592-594.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

The history of Rasmussen encephalitis is in many ways an unfinished story, a history still in the making. Rasmussen encephalitis has been known by various names, including chronic (focal) encephalitis and Russian spring-summer tick-borne encephalitis. As a well-established cause of epilepsia partialis continua, it remains one of the most mysterious and devastating epileptic syndromes. Studies of Rasmussen encephalitis have led to advances in the fields of neurology and epileptology. What began as an observation slightly more than a century ago has sparked new interest in surgical approaches to epilepsy and prompted particular insights into the emerging science of neuroimmunology.

FIRST CLINICAL DESCRIPTIONS

Rasmussen encephalitis is the name given to a progressive epileptic condition that typically includes partial seizures, epilepsia partialis continua, progressive hemiparesis, cognitive decline, and lateralized progressive brain atrophy. The histologic findings are those of chronic nonspecific encephalitis: perivascular lymphocytic cuffing, gliosis, rare microglial nodules, and neuronal loss. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

THEODORE RASMUSSEN

TREATMENT

From the Department of Pediatrics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.

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