title: A 4-year-old with pica, progressive incoordination, and decreased responsiveness.
abstract: This article reports a typical case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The patient contracted measles as an infant during the 1989 to 1991 United States measles epidemic. At 4 1/2 years of age, he developed behavioral changes and quickly progressed through the typical clinical stages of SSPE. His EEG was characteristic. Serum and CSF measles immunoglobulin G were markedly elevated. He remains alive but is vegetative. To our knowledge, this is the first case of SSPE stemming from the 1989 to 1991 measles epidemic. Because infants--the group at highest risk to develop SSPE--were most severely affected by this measles outbreak, other cases of SSPE stemming from this epidemic may occur.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Dlugos
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Brooks-Kayal
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D010842:Pica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology