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Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) reappraisal of nuclear, cytoplasmic and axonal inclusions ultrastructural study of eight cases

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Summary

A description of “nuclear bodies”, “intranuclear crystalloid tubules” and intracytoplasmic inclusions from eight SSPE cases in clinical stage 2 and 3 is presented. The development and evolution of nuclear bodies is proposed. No correlation between the clinical stage of the disease and the different morphological aspects of nuclear bodies was found. The presence of nuclear bodies in SSPE is a consistent feature and consequently these “structures” should have a definite diagnostic value in clinically suspected cases of SSPE.

All the cases showed various types of intranuclear inclusions ranging from “simple” nuclear bodies to granular “beaded” nuclear bodies and paramyxovirus nucleocapsids. Intralysosomal nucleocapsids were found in one case.

In one instance intraaxonal paramyxovirus nucleocapsids were found. Intranuclear elongated tubules and/or filamentous paracrystalline bundles, some arranged in lattice-like fashion were also found. No apparent morphological relationship was demonstrated between these structures and the “simple” nuclear bodies, granular “beaded” nuclear bodies and “nucleocapsids.” From these observations, we propose that “simple” nuclear bodies evolve into paramyxovirus nucleocapsids tubules and that there is a migration of virus or virus-related structures from nuclei to cytoplasm and then to axoplasm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1100 Marshall Street, 23298, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    A. Julio Martinez, Tatsuo Ohya, J. T. Jabbour & D. Dueñas

  2. Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Neurology, The University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee

    A. Julio Martinez, Tatsuo Ohya, J. T. Jabbour & D. Dueñas

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  1. A. Julio Martinez
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  2. Tatsuo Ohya
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  4. D. Dueñas
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Martinez, A.J., Ohya, T., Jabbour, J.T. et al. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) reappraisal of nuclear, cytoplasmic and axonal inclusions ultrastructural study of eight cases. Acta Neuropathol 28, 1–13 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687513

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687513

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