The Findings and Significances of Brain SPECT in Acute Mealses Encephalitis

PURPOSE: Acute measles encephalitis(ME) is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever and obtundation, frequently accompanied by seizures and multifocal neurological signs. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical manifestation, progression and the brain SPECT patterns in patients with acute ME. METHODS: This study included 11 children with acute ME admitted to Chonbuk National University Hospital. Ten patients received a first dose of measles vaccine, one patient did not receive a first dose, and no patients received a second dose. ME was diagnosed based on characteristic clinical pictures, measles antibodies by ELISA and abnormal CSF findings. Brain MRI and brain SPECT were performed in 11 patients with acute ME. RESULTS: There were four males and seven females whose ages at onset ranged between 18 months and 14 years(mean : 10.5 years). The main clinical neurologic pictures were loss of consciousness(10) and seizure(five). The titer of IgG and IgM antimeasles antibodies in serum were positive in 10 patients. In CSF, nine patients had IgG antibodies and one patient had IgM antibodies. The concentration of protein(mean : 124+/-60 mg/dL) and WBC counts(mean : 158+/-157/microL) in CSF were elevated in all patients. In electroencephalographic examination, nine patients showed increased slow waves. Seven of 11 patients(63.6%) revealed high signal intensity on the brain MRI. In contrast, all patients showed hypoperfusion in brain SPECT examination. According to brain SPECT, the perfusion deficits were frequently observed in the frontal lobe(nine), temporal (nine), parietal(eight) and thalamus(eight). CONCLUSION: Brain SPECT is more sensitive than MRI for the evaluation of brain damage in early stages of acute ME.

Study on Vaccination State in Children: Jeonbuk Province, 2000

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to obtain the vaccination rate and age appropriateness of vaccination in children under five years of age in Jeonbuk province. METHODS: Eight hundred and fifty infants and children were enrolled in this study. Vaccination rate(Number of vaccinees/Number of subjects), places of vaccination, age appropriateness of vacination were examined by either vaccine record review or interview with parents or guardians. RESULTS: The salient features of the findings were as follows : All subjects were aged under five and mostly under two years of age(68.8%). Places of vaccination were health centers or subcenters(50.4%), private clinics(44.3%), and general hospitals(5.3%). Routine vaccinations such as BCG, hepatitis B vaccine(HBV), diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis(DTaP) and Trivalent Oral Polio Vaccine(TOPV), measles, mumps, rubella(MMR), and Japaneses B encephalitis(JBE) were vaccinated mostly in health centers or subcenters, while chickenpox(CHP) and haemophilus influenzae vaccines(Hib), which are not routine in Korea, were vaccinated in private clinics. The vaccination rates of BCG(99.2%), HBV(93.5%) and DTaP(96.1%) were very high. But those of MMR(83.7%), CHP(72.5%), JBE(50.2%), and Hib(15.8%) were lower than expected. Considering the age appropriateness of vaccination, some infants and children were not appropriately vaccinated(vaccination rate/age appropriateness of vaccine; HBV, 93.5%/88.4% : DTaP, 94.6%/73.1% : JBE, 50.2%/ 18.5%). CONCLUSION: The vaccination rate of BCG, HBV, DTaP and TOPV was very high, but MMR, CHP, JBE, and Hib vaccination rate was not high enough to be able to protect against epidemic. We should pay more attention to vaccinating children, and there is a need for a program that will enhance coverage for vaccines.

A Case of Cerebral Vasculitis in Henoch-Sh nlein Purpura

Henoch-Sh nlein Purpura(HSP) is an immuologically mediated systemic vasculitis of small blood vessels affecting predominantly the skin, gastrointestinal tract, joints, and kidneys. Clinical neurological manifestations such as headaches, behavioral changes, mental changes, seizures, and visual loss are described, but neurological complication are rare during the course of HSP. We experienced a case of an 8 year-old male with HSP who presented with seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) showed multiple high signal intensity in both cortical and subcortical areas of frontal and parieto-occipital lobes and magnetic resonance(MR) angiogram showed stenosis of cerebral arteries, compatible with MRI and MR angiogram findings of cerebral vasculitis. We report this case with related literature.