Neuropathological analysis of 8 cases of clinically diagnosed Reye syndrome

: Authors discuss the possible etiopathogenesis of Reye syndrome (RS) on the base of eight own cases presented in this paper and others previously described. The febrile infection was observed on the beginning of the disease in all actually analysed cases and was followed by symptoms of acute damage of liver and brain. The central nervous system lesions present the changes increasing with time from brain oedema to the necrosis of nerve tissue. The oedematous changes could be recognized as a principal cause of unconsciousness and even of coma in RS. When the etiology of RS remain unknown the clinico-pathological observations of such cases incline to formulate three questions: Is an genetically conditioned background necessary which facilitate toxic or infectious factors to induce the RS? Is the etiology of RS only genetically conditioned? Is an specific viral infection the cause of RS?