An Uncommon Cause of Fatal Paralysis |
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| Sections Clinical History
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PathologyGrossExternal examination revealed the presence of bite marks on the skin of the back. The most significant findings were present in the brain and the spinal cord. |
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 Figure 1 Magnify Image |
Although the cerebral hemispheres were unremarkable , petechial hemorrhages were present in the deep gray matter of the brain stem (Fig1), the cerebellum, and the spinal cord. | |
Light Microscopy |
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 Fig 2 Magnify Image |
Sections from the spinal cord and cerebellum showed focal,eosinophilic neuronal necrosis that is associated with abundant lymphocytes (Fig 2). | |
 Fig 3 Magnify Image |
Residual, eosinophilic neurons contained intracytoplasmic inclusions, Negri bodies (Fig. 3). | |
 Figure 4 Magnify Image |
Numerous infiltrates of lymphocytes located in perivascular space (Fig 4). | |
 Figure 5 Magnify Image |
In one neuron there is an intranuclear nuclear inclusion (Fig 5) of the same viral etiology as seen in Figure 2 . | |
 Figure 6 Magnify Image |
Imunologic staining demonstrated positive staining of infected neurons with the antibody to rabies virus (Fig 6). Electron microscopy was performed to confirm the diagnosis by evaluating the virus size and morphology. | |
| Electron Microscopy | ||
| October 1998 Case-of-the-Month | ||