Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: an immune complex disease?

Vascular osmiophilic deposits of entangled tubular profiles were demonstrated by electronmicroscopy in the cerebral tissue of a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Measles viral antigen, IgG, IgM, and C3 were found in the same distribution, indicating that the deposits represent immune complexes. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of immune complexes in the vessels of the central nervous system.