Late onset Rasmussen's encephalitis with triple pathology

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a devastating illness characterized by intractable focal seizures due to chronic localised encephalitis. We report on a rare variant of delayed onset Rasmussen's encephalitis with triple pathology. A 27-year-old male, who was initially diagnosed with seizures when he was 16 years old, presented with focal seizures that became refractory to multiple anticonvulsants. Multiple investigations, including subdural electrode monitoring, revealed foci of onset in the right frontotemporal region. The patient underwent right front-temporal lobectomy. Post-operatively, the seizures became more severe and he developed new epilepsia partialis continua. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin was unsuccessful. He subsequently underwent a right hemispherectomy that rendered him seizure free. The three pathologies identified were old ischemic changes, type II cortical dysplasia and stage II Rasmussen's encephalitis. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.