Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in young male Lewis rats. Blood-brain barrier permeability to radiotracers of different molecular sizes was studied at intervals after induction using a tissue sampling technique. The results were correlated to the clinical picture and to the histological appearance of the central nervous system. Significant increase in blood-brain barrier permeability to small molecules was found to precede clinical symptoms by one day in the lumbar spinal cord and to coincide with the onset of clinical disease in other regions. In all regions, increased blood-brain barrier permeability preceded the occurrence of histological lesions (perivascular cellular infiltrates). No permeability increase to large molecules could be demonstrated.