Retinitis and dementia in a pregnant girl: an unusual case.
A 14-year-old pregnant Caucasian girl presented with a 1-week history of dementia. She had presented 1 year prior with acute unilateral visual impairment and was noted to have macular degeneration of presumed infective aetiology. This evolved to a pigmentary macular lesion. During the course of the current presentation she developed myoclonic jerks. An electroencephalogram revealed periodic spike and slow wave complexes at 1-2 second intervals. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid examination showed raised anti-measles IgG antibody titres. Intrathecal synthesis of anti-measles virus antibody was demonstrated unequivocally and a diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis was made. A healthy male infant was delivered by elective caesarean section at 33 weeks' gestation. She continued to deteriorate clinically despite treatment with intraventricular alpha-interferon. She had not had primary immunization against measles.
Jayawant
S
S
Paediatric Neurology, Department of Child Health, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Wales.
Feyi-Waboso
A
A
Wallace
S
S
Heath
J
J
Leary
M
M
Evans
R
R
Ellis
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy
D000914:Antibodies, Viral