Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a child with recurrent febrile seizures.

Ayşe Kartal,Kürşad Aydın,Ayşegül Neşe Çıtak Kurt,Tuğba Hirfanoğlu,Ayşe Serdaroğlu

doi:10.1155/2015/783936

Abstract

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a devastating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by persistent mutant measles virus infection. The diagnosis of SSPE is based on characteristic clinical and EEG findings and demonstration of elevated antibody titres against measles in cerebrospinal fluid. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis can have atypical clinical features at the onset. Herein, we report an unusual case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a child with recurrent febrile seizures. The disease progressed with an appearance of myoclonic jerks, periodic high amplitude generalized complexes on EEG, and elevated titers of measles antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid leading to the final diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Highlights

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an aberrant measles virus in the central nervous system [1]
The typical clinical presentation of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis includes behavioral and intellectual impairment followed by myoclonia and complete neurological deterioration depending on the degree of neuroanatomical structure involvement [2]
We describe a child with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis who had history of recurrent febrile seizures

Summary

Introduction

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an aberrant measles virus in the central nervous system [1]. The typical clinical presentation of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis includes behavioral and intellectual impairment followed by myoclonia and complete neurological deterioration depending on the degree of neuroanatomical structure involvement [2]. The initial characteristics and clinical course of the disease can be highly variable. Different types of seizures as prominent and a first symptom of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis are a typical clinical presentation [3, 4]. We describe a child with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis who had history of recurrent febrile seizures

Case Report

Discussion

Conflict of Interests