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A case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a 23-year-old recent immigrant to Australia

Eloise Williams, Iain J Abbott, Lai Yin Law and Stephen David Guy
Med J Aust 2016; 204 (7): . || doi: 10.5694/mja15.01341
Published online: 18 April 2016

A 23-year-old woman presented with a generalised tonic–clonic seizure on a background of 9 months of progressive neurological decline (characterised by involuntary jerks, monocular visual disturbance and reduced speech) resulting in falls, impaired ability to perform activities of daily living and urinary incontinence. Examination showed right-sided myoclonus, bilateral parkinsonism, primitive reflexes present, akinetic mutism and retinal scarring apparent on fundoscopy.


  • 1 Western Health, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2 Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, VIC


Correspondence: eloise.williams@wh.org.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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