Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1987 Jul 4;295(6589):15–18. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6589.15

Measles in children who have malignant disease.

J Kernahan, J McQuillin, A W Craft
PMCID: PMC1246899  PMID: 3113596

Abstract

A review study examined the clinical course of measles diagnosed in children being treated for malignant disease in Newcastle upon Tyne during 1973-86. Of the 17 cases diagnosed, five were fatal. Factors associated with a favourable outcome were a typical rash and Koplik's spots, which were accompanied by a detectable serum antibody response and the disappearance of measles giant cells from nasopharyngeal secretions. Pneumonitis severe enough to require assisted ventilation was invariably fatal. Pneumonitis and encephalitis were the main complications. Treatment included immunoglobulin, interferon, and ribavirin, but none could clearly be shown to be effective. The comparatively low mortality in this series may have been due to the extensive use of the fluorescent antibody technique in Newcastle during the study period and therefore detection of less severe cases as compared with other reports.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson R. M., May R. M. Directly transmitted infections diseases: control by vaccination. Science. 1982 Feb 26;215(4536):1053–1060. doi: 10.1126/science.7063839. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barkin R. M. Measles mortality. Analysis of the primary cause of death. Am J Dis Child. 1975 Mar;129(3):307–309. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1975.02120400019004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Binnie G. A. Measles immunisation: profit and loss in a general practice. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984 Nov 10;289(6454):1275–1276. doi: 10.1136/bmj.289.6454.1275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blair S., Shave N., McKay J. Measles matters, but do parents know? Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985 Feb 23;290(6468):623–624. doi: 10.1136/bmj.290.6468.623. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Campbell A. G. Measles immunisation: why have we failed? Arch Dis Child. 1983 Jan;58(1):3–5. doi: 10.1136/adc.58.1.3. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. ENDERS J. F., McCARTHY K., MITUS A., CHEATHAM W. J. Isolation of measles virus at autopsy in cases of giant-cell pneumonia without rash. N Engl J Med. 1959 Oct 29;261:875–881. doi: 10.1056/NEJM195910292611801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gray M. M., Hann I. M., Glass S., Eden O. B., Jones P. M., Stevens R. F. Mortality and morbidity caused by measles in children with malignant disease attending four major treatment centres: a retrospective review. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Jul 4;295(6589):19–22. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6589.19. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hinman A. R., Eddins D. L., Kirby C. D., Orenstein W. A., Bernier R. H., Turner P. M., Jr, Bloch A. B. Progress in measles elimination. JAMA. 1982 Mar 19;247(11):1592–1595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kay H. E., Rankin A. Immunoglobulin prophylaxis of measles in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Lancet. 1984 Apr 21;1(8382):901–902. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91356-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MITUS A., ENDERS J. F., CRAIG J. M., HOLLOWAY A. Persistence of measles virus and depression of antibody formation in patients with giant-cell pneumonia after measles. N Engl J Med. 1959 Oct 29;261:882–889. doi: 10.1056/NEJM195910292611802. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mcquillin J., Bell T. M., Gardner P. S., Downham P. S. Application of immunofluorescence to a study of measles. Arch Dis Child. 1976 Jun;51(6):411–419. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.6.411. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Miller C. L. Deaths from measles in England and Wales, 1970-83. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985 Feb 9;290(6466):443–444. doi: 10.1136/bmj.290.6466.443. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ninane J., Chessells J. M. Serious infections during continuing treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Arch Dis Child. 1981 Nov;56(11):841–844. doi: 10.1136/adc.56.11.841. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Noah N. D. Measles eradication policies. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Apr 3;284(6321):997–998. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6321.997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pollock T. M. Measles control in the United Kingdom. Rev Infect Dis. 1983 May-Jun;5(3):574–576. doi: 10.1093/clinids/5.3.574. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pullan C. R., Noble T. C., Scott D. J., Wisniewsk K., Gardner P. S. Atypical measles infections in leukaemic children on immunosuppressive treatment. Br Med J. 1976 Jun 26;1(6025):1562–1565. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6025.1562. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Simpson R., Eden O. B. Possible interferon response in a child with measles encephalitis during immunosuppression. Scand J Infect Dis. 1984;16(3):315–319. doi: 10.3109/00365548409070407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Smee D. F., Sidwell R. W., Barnett B. B., Spendlove R. S., Sharma R. P. Development of antiviral levels of ribavirin in serum and urine of orally treated rats. Chemotherapy. 1981;27(1):12–17. doi: 10.1159/000237949. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Smyth D., Tripp J. H., Brett E. M., Marshall W. C., Almeida J., Dayan A. D., Coleman J. C., Dayton R. Letter: Atypical measles encephalitis in leukaemic children in remission. Lancet. 1976 Sep 11;2(7985):574–574. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91821-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Torigoe S., Hirai S., Oitani K., Ito M., Ihara T., Iwasa T., Kamiya H., Sakurai M., Ueda S., Yamanishi K. Application of live attenuated measles and mumps vaccines in children with acute leukemia. Biken J. 1981 Dec;24(4):147–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES