User:Mr. Ibrahem/Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is progressive brain inflammation due to persistent measles infection. Onset is generally 7 to 10 years after the initial infection. Initial symptoms include memory loss and irritability which is followed by involuntary jerking movements. Complications may include seizures and blindness.

It is caused by wild-type measles virus, not by vaccine strains. Diagnosis may be based on a combination of symptoms, CSF analysis, EEG findings, medical imaging, and brain biopsy. It differs from the other forms of encephalitis due to measles: primary measles encephalitis, acute post-measles encephalitis, and measles inclusion body encephalitis.

Prevention is by measles vaccination. There is no cure. Treatment may involve the use of antiviral medication such as ribavirin, antiseizure medication, and antispasmodics. Most individuals die within 3 years of the diagnosis.

SSPE affects about 1 in 10,000 people who get measles; though it is more common in those who had measles before the age of 5. Rates decreased more than 90% with widespread vaccination against measles. The condition primarily affects children and young adults. Males are more commonly affected than females. The condition was first described in 1933 by Dawson.