Measles-induced encephalitis

D L Fisher; S Defres; T Solomon

doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcu113

Measles-induced encephalitis

QJM. 2015 Mar;108(3):177-82. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hcu113. Epub 2014 May 26.

Authors

D L Fisher¹, S Defres², T Solomon³

Affiliations

¹ From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK Ha09113@qmul.ac.uk.
² From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK.
³ From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK From the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen NHS Trust, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections and The Walton Centre Neurology NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, L9 7LJ UK.

PMID: 24865261
DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcu113

Abstract

Encephalitis is the most frequent neurological complication of measles virus infection. This review examines the pathophysiology of measles infection and the presentations, diagnosis and treatment of the four types of measles-induced encephalitis including primary measles encephalitis, acute post-measles encephalitis, measles inclusion body encephalitis and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. The early symptoms of encephalitis may be non-specific and can be mistakenly attributed to a systemic infection leading to a delay in diagnosis. This review provides a summary of the symptoms that should cause health care workers to suspect measles-induced encephalitis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acute Disease
Humans
Immunity, Herd
Infectious Encephalitis / diagnosis
Infectious Encephalitis / therapy
Infectious Encephalitis / virology*
Measles Vaccine
Measles*
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / diagnosis
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / therapy
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / virology

Substances

Measles Vaccine

Grants and funding

IS-HPU-1112-10117/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom