A 3-year-old with measles develops high fever, altered sensorium, and seizures 4 days after the rash appears. CSF shows lymphocytic pleocytosis. The complication is:
- A Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)
- B Measles inclusion body encephalitis
- C Acute post-infectious measles encephalitis ✓
- D Progressive rubella panencephalitis
Explanation
Acute post-infectious (para-infectious) measles encephalitis occurs in 1 in 1000 measles cases, typically 4–7 days after onset of rash. It is an autoimmune demyelinating process (not direct viral invasion of the CNS) causing fever, seizures and CSF pleocytosis. Case fatality is 15–20% with 25% having permanent neurological sequelae. SSPE is a late, progressive degenerative encephalitis occurring 7–10 years after infection (slow virus disease). Measles inclusion body encephalitis occurs in immunocompromised patients without adequate immune response. SSPE has characteristic periodic EEG complexes (Radermecker complexes).
Reference: Ghai Essential Pediatrics, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.