Anomalies of the cerebral cortex in a case of epilepsia partialis continua.

Morphological and biochemical findings are described from the brain biopsy of an 11-year-old girl with intractable type II epilepsia partialis continua. Computerized tomography scan showed severe progressive central and cortical atrophy, mainly of the right hemisphere. Brain biopsy revealed microangiopathy of the cortex-penetrating arteries, patchy necrosis of the cortex, and small loose infiltrates of lymphocytic cells. Biochemical analysis showed normal pyruvate metabolism and citric acid cycle in gray and white matter.