Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: The Foothold in Undervaccination

Rebecca L Holt; Dylan Kann; Caroline E Rassbach; Hayden T Schwenk; Jana M Ritter; Paul A Rota; Jorina Elbers

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.08.051

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: The Foothold in Undervaccination

J Pediatr. 2016 Dec:179:259-262. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.08.051. Epub 2016 Sep 12.

Authors

Rebecca L Holt¹, Dylan Kann², Caroline E Rassbach³, Hayden T Schwenk², Jana M Ritter⁴, Paul A Rota⁵, Jorina Elbers⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Stanford Children's Health, Stanford, CA.
² Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
³ Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
⁴ Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA.
⁵ Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
⁶ Division of Child Neurology, Department of Neurology, Stanford Children's Health, Stanford, CA. Electronic address: jelbers@stanford.edu.

PMID: 27634625
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.08.051

Abstract

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a fatal complication of measles infection. We present a case of a fully vaccinated 3-year-old boy who was diagnosed with and treated for autoimmune encephalitis before arriving at a diagnosis of SSPE. We discuss the challenges of diagnosing SSPE in developed countries.

Keywords: child; immunization.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Child, Preschool
Humans
Male
Measles / complications
Measles / prevention & control
Measles Vaccine
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / prevention & control*
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / virology

Substances

Measles Vaccine