[Rubella encephalitis with unusual course in an adult]

A 35-year-old woman developed neurological signs over several weeks after a symptom-free rubella infection. Rubella encephalitis was diagnosed from a significant rise in rubella virus antibodies and the demonstration of IgM antibodies. Slow improvement in the neurological defects began not earlier than in the 16th week of illness. Severe defects of speaking, reading, writing and calculating as well as mild disorders of affect still persisted eight months after onset of the illness.