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Case Reports
. 2017 Aug 21;9(8):e1585.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.1585.

Marked Atrophic Changes of the Brain in a Patient with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis

Faizan Yasin  1 , Salman Assad  2 , Muhammad Nadeem  3 , Mehr Zahid  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Marked Atrophic Changes of the Brain in a Patient with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis

Faizan Yasin et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is a debilitating disorder associated with the measles infection in childhood. It is a very rare manifestation in children. It usually presents with measles before the age of two. We report a similar case of SSPE in a 14-year-old girl who developed this life-threatening condition in spite of receiving the measles vaccination. Despite the vaccination, the patient had suffered from measles before the age of two. This highlights the dilemma of ineffective vaccinations in developing countries. We also describe the radiologic features of SSPE in this patient, with marked atrophy seen in the occipital region following hyperintensities noticed at a relatively earlier stage.

Keywords: measles virus; seizure; subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. ECG findings
Electrocardiogram (ECG) showing atrial fibrillation - irregularly irregular R-R intervals. Loss of P waves also seen (white arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2. MRI brain findings
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing moderate hyperintensity in the parietooccipital region bilaterally (arrows in A). Cortical atrophy is present, signified by markedly enlarged sulci (arrows in B). Enlarged sulci representing cortical atrophy signified by encircled areas in C.
Figure 3
Figure 3. EEG findings
Electroencephalogram (EEG) showing a generalized spike and wave pattern or generalized sharp waves (black arrows).
Figure 4
Figure 4. MRI brain without contrast
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing marked atrophy in the parietooccipital region, predominantly in the left occipital region (white arrows in 4A). Sulci appeared to have widened (white circles in 4B). The posterior horn of the left lateral ventricle appeared distorted and compressed (red arrow in 4A).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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