Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
| Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Dawson disease |
| Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. | |
| Specialty | Neurology, Infectious Disease |
| Symptoms | Behavior changes, seizures, spasticity, poor coordination, coma |
| Usual onset | 6–15 years after infection with measles |
| Causes | Measles virus |
| Risk factors | Measles infection |
| Diagnostic method | EEG, Serologic testing, brain biopsy |
| Prevention | Measles vaccine |
| Treatment | Supportive treatment |
| Medication | Intrathecal interferon alpha, intravenous ribavirin, isoprinosine |
| Prognosis | Usually fatal |
| Frequency | 2 in 10,000 for all age groups; as high as 1 in 609 for unvaccinated infants under 15 months |
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), also known as Dawson disease, is a rare form of progressive brain inflammation caused by a persistent infection with the measles virus. The condition primarily affects children, teens, and young adults. It has been estimated that about 2 in 10,000 people who get measles will eventually develop SSPE. However, a 2016 study estimated that the rate for unvaccinated infants under 15 months was as high as 1 in 609. No cure for SSPE exists, and the condition is almost always fatal. SSPE is sometimes confused with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which can also be caused by the measles virus, but has a very different timing and course.
SSPE is caused by some strains of the wild-type (naturally occurring) measles virus, such as the B3 strain, but not by the strains used in measles vaccines.