Premium
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in an infant: Diagnostic role of viral genome analysis
Author(s) -
Baram Tallie Z.,
GonzalezGomez Ignacio,
Xie ZongDe,
Yao Dapeng,
Gilles Floyd H.,
Nelson Marvin D.,
Nguyen Hahn T.,
Peters Julius
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410360120
Subject(s) - subacute sclerosing panencephalitis , measles virus , virology , measles , morbillivirus , polymerase chain reaction , virus , cerebrospinal fluid , titer , vaccination , medicine , mumps virus , paramyxoviridae , viral disease , biology , gene , pathology , biochemistry
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is related to “defective” measles virus or vaccination, though an association with parainfluenza viruses has been reported. SSPE is characterized by a slow, erratic course and elevated cerebrospinal fluid measles titers. An immunocompetent, vaccinated infant, with onset of symptoms in parainfluenza virus season and a catastrophic course is described. Cerebrospinal fluid titers were negative, but postmortem brain had typical SSPE lesions. Patient brain‐derived RNA, subjected to reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction yielded polymerase chain reaction products with measles virus but not parainfluenza virus genes. The sequenced fragment revealed multiple mutations, typical for SSPE. SSPE can thus present in infants, with short latency and no cerebrospinal fluid antibodies. Viral genomic analysis may be diagnostic, permitting early therapy.