There is confusion in the literature in regard to the classification of the acute and chronic forms of multiple sclerosis. In 1885 Babinski,1 in his thesis on multiple sclerosis, described a "destructive form" of the disease, characterized by extreme rapidity of its course. It was not until 1906 that Marburg2 described in detail acute multiple sclerosis, which he asserted was a form of true multiple sclerosis characterized by a more rapid course. He emphasized the identity of the two diseases. The confusion became greater after certain authors (Putnam,3 Pette4 and others) expressed the view that different forms of encephalomyelitis are closely related to, if not identical with, acute multiple sclerosis.
Actually, the correlation between the clinical and the pathologic condition is still indefinite. Information is needed on the pathologic picture in cases of multiple sclerosis with a rapid fatal course. It is the purpose of this