A latent, measles-like viral infection and, presumably, a defect in cellular immunity is associated with which of the following diseases?
**Core Concept**
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare and chronic neurological disorder caused by a latent measles infection, leading to impaired cellular immunity and subsequent brain damage.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
SSPE is characterized by a persistent infection of the measles virus in the brain, which results in the formation of defective viral particles that accumulate in neurons, leading to chronic inflammation and neuronal damage. This occurs due to a defect in the host's cellular immune response, which fails to clear the virus. The measles virus is known to integrate into the host's genome, creating a reservoir of latent infection that can reactivate years later, causing the symptoms of SSPE.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is caused by the JC virus, a polyomavirus that infects oligodendrocytes and leads to demyelination in the brain, but it is not associated with measles or impaired cellular immunity.
**Option B:** Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by demyelination in the central nervous system, but it is not caused by a viral infection or impaired cellular immunity.
**Option C:** Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a prion disease caused by misfolded proteins, not a viral infection or impaired cellular immunity.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
SSPE is often associated with a history of measles infection in childhood, emphasizing the importance of measles vaccination in preventing this and other measles-related complications.
**Correct Answer:**
✓ Correct Answer: D. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)