Muhammad Akbar Malik, Daniel Hindley, Muhammad Arif Tarar, Muhammad Osaid Qureshi, Hamza Malik, Qurban Ali.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in Pakistani children presenting for a first EEG.
Pak Paed J Jan ;35(4):185-91.

Purpose: To illustrate the clinical and EEG characteristics which allow the identification of possible and definite diagnosis of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) in children presenting for a first electroencephalogram (EEG) in a population of high prevalence of SSPE. Method: This was a prospective observational study undertaken in the Department of the Paediatric Neurology, The Children’s Hospital Lahore, Pakistan from 1st July 2008 to 30th June 2010. Children aged 2-16 years with unexplained seizures referred for a first EEG were included. All children with clinical features and EEG findings suggestive of SSPE were tested for anti-measles antibody titers in their serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Results: Of 4200 children referred for a first EEG, 1554 (37%) had abnormal EEGs. Among these 1554 patients with abnormal EEGs, 96 (6.2%) had clinical features and EEG abnormalities suggestive of SSPE and in 40 children serum/CSF anti-measles antibody titers, confirmed the diagnosis. History of measles infection at a younger age, myoclonic seizures, and burst suppression pattern on EEG were the predominant diagnostic features of SSPE patients. Conclusions: A low threshold for measles antibody testing should be considered where children present with myoclonic seizures, motor, behavioural or cognitive regression and EEG records showing a burst suppression pattern.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com