Pathology of allergic encephalomyelopathies following Semple type antirabies vaccine from india

Twelve fatal cases of neurological complications following β- propionolactone inactivated antirabies [Semple] vaccine were studied. Neurological deficits consisted of polyradiculopathy in four patients, dorsolumbar myelopathy in two, myeloradiculopathy in two and encephalomyeloradiculopathy in four. Pathological findings revealed the same degree of involvement of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. White matter was more involved than grey matter, in the form of perivenous demyelination. The features resembled those of acute necrotizing haemorrhagic leucoencephalitis. Two cases had perivenous demyelinating lesions in the cortex, along with rabies encephalitis. The pathological lesions were far more extensive than those detected by clinical localization.