Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We describe the clinical presentation and clinical course of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a 13-year-old previously healthy boy who recently immigrated to the United States from Iraq. He presented with macular retinopathy, followed by progressive myoclonus and encephalopathy. After extensi...

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Main Authors: Sandhya Ravikumar, John Ross Crawford
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Neurological Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/327647
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author Sandhya Ravikumar
John Ross Crawford
author_facet Sandhya Ravikumar
John Ross Crawford
author_sort Sandhya Ravikumar
collection DOAJ
description We describe the clinical presentation and clinical course of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a 13-year-old previously healthy boy who recently immigrated to the United States from Iraq. He presented with macular retinopathy, followed by progressive myoclonus and encephalopathy. After extensive workup, a diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis was suspected by the presence of period epileptiform discharges on electroencephalogram and confirmed by elevated measles titers in the cerebrospinal fluid. Combination immunomodulatory therapy with isoprinosine, ribavirin, and intra-Ommaya interferon alpha did not result in clinical improvement. Within days following the administration of carbamazepine, there was remarkable improvement in the myoclonus and he was able to ambulate independently for a period of 4 months at which time he unfortunately progressed to a vegetative state. This case highlights the importance of carbamazepine as a potential first line symptomatic treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and provides a review of the literature on the subject.
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spelling doaj-art-8415b59bd7fd4859a9d718417cb0292a2025-02-03T01:30:12ZengWileyCase Reports in Neurological Medicine2090-66682090-66762013-01-01201310.1155/2013/327647327647Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the LiteratureSandhya Ravikumar0John Ross Crawford1University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAUniversity of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USAWe describe the clinical presentation and clinical course of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a 13-year-old previously healthy boy who recently immigrated to the United States from Iraq. He presented with macular retinopathy, followed by progressive myoclonus and encephalopathy. After extensive workup, a diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis was suspected by the presence of period epileptiform discharges on electroencephalogram and confirmed by elevated measles titers in the cerebrospinal fluid. Combination immunomodulatory therapy with isoprinosine, ribavirin, and intra-Ommaya interferon alpha did not result in clinical improvement. Within days following the administration of carbamazepine, there was remarkable improvement in the myoclonus and he was able to ambulate independently for a period of 4 months at which time he unfortunately progressed to a vegetative state. This case highlights the importance of carbamazepine as a potential first line symptomatic treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and provides a review of the literature on the subject.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/327647
spellingShingle Sandhya Ravikumar
John Ross Crawford
Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Case Reports in Neurological Medicine
title Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_full Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_fullStr Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_full_unstemmed Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_short Role of Carbamazepine in the Symptomatic Treatment of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
title_sort role of carbamazepine in the symptomatic treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis a case report and review of the literature
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/327647
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