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Marked Atrophic Changes of the Brain in a Patient with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis
Faizan Yasin1, Salman Assad2, Muhammad Nadeem3
1Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo.
Insights
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare neurological disorder following measles infection. This case highlights vaccine ineffectiveness and diagnostic challenges in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, progressive neurological deterioration linked to measles virus infection.
- Typically, SSPE manifests in children who experienced measles before age two.
Abstract:
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is a debilitating disorder associated with the measles infection in childhood. It is a very rare manifestation in children. It usually presents with measles before the age of two. We report a similar case of SSPE in a 14-year-old girl who developed this life-threatening condition in spite of receiving the measles vaccination. Despite the vaccination, the patient had suffered from measles before the age of two. This highlights the dilemma of ineffective vaccinations in developing countries. We also describe the radiologic features of SSPE in this patient, with marked atrophy seen in the occipital region following hyperintensities noticed at a relatively earlier stage.
