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Objective: To identify common clinical features, sociodemographic characteristics and laboratory parameters of diagnosed cases of Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis.Design: Cross sectional descriptive type of study.Setting: Department of Paediatrics, Dhaka Medical College Hospital.Study period: January 2006 to December 2008.Subjects: Twenty clinically diagnosed patients of SSPE.Results: The mean age at presentation was 8 years. Male: Female ratio was 19:1. Most of the patients came from lower socio-economic group (70%). Forty five percent had history of primary measles infection and seventy percent were vaccinated against measles. Most common presenting features were fall to ground (95%), cognitive decline (85%), myoclonic seizures (80%), altered speech (70%), gait disturbance (60%), personality changes (55%), dysphagia (50%) and less commonly blindness (20%). EEG showed abnormal findings in 100% of patients who underwent this test. Measles specific IgG antibody in CSF was positive in 90% cases. Neuroimaging findings were abnormal in 43% cases.Conclusion: The diagnosis of SSPE should be considered in children presenting with deteriorating milestones of development especially cognition and behavior, fall to ground along with myoclonic jerks in an endemic country for measles infection. Investigations like CSF and serum antibody to measles virus and characteristic EEG changes may help further in the diagnosis. Key words: SSPE; Myoclonic jerks; Milestones regression; Measles antibody; EEG. DOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v17i2.6586J Dhaka Med Coll. 2008; 17(2) : 72-77

Objective: Study the trend and dynamics of age-and gender-dependant prevalence of headache n schoolers and to determine if these attribute as plausible factors for recurrent headache.Background: Magnitude of recurrent headache is not well explored in school-children (schoolers) particularly in developing countries, and not documented in Bangladesh, yet.

Background: Anaemia and Iron-deficiency(ID) often acts synergistically, while intestinal parasitosis (IP) augments in developing nutritional anemia and-iron deficiency(NAID) rampant in resource constraint countries. Since no such study was reported from Bangladesh yet, we conducted this community-based intervention-study in a disadvantaged rural-area. Methodology: Total 168, children(mean age=6.86±2.33years) having intestinal parasitosis and anaemia, were subjected to fortnightly anthropometry and were randomized into 4 groups(Gp):Children from A1 & A2 were dewormed and B1 & B2 were not. Further, A1 and B1 were supplemented with micronutrient and A2 & B2 were not. Haematological indices/micronutrient assay were done for all at baseline. Postintervened blood was re-tested to compare with baseline. Findings: Prevalence of helminths(81.5%) and protozoa(12%)lowered down significantly after intervention in A1, than A2, B1 and B2(p< 0.001). Mean Hb increased in A1, than A2 (p>0.00), B1(p>0.005) and B2 (p>0.001). Mean S. ferittin increased in Gp.A1 than B1 (p< 0.03), and A2 than B1(p< 0.03) and Mean Total Iron-Binding-capacity increased in Gp A1 than A2(p< 0.03) and A2 than B2(p>0.04). While no post-intervened increment in mean height-z-score was observed except in A1 than B2 (p< 0.04), Means weight-z-score was increased in A1 than A2(p< 0.02), B1 than B2 (p< 0.001), A2 than B1(p< 0.05) & A2 than B2 (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Micronutrient supplementation helps parasitic and/or anaemic children in increasing haematological indices and gaining weight if dewormed in prior. It is particularly essential in underdeveloped low-health care budgeted countries in adopting better policies/strategies towards better child survival, through a cost-effective sustainable prevention /control programs against NAID.

Two boys, one was 7 years and the other was 3 years 7 months old, were admitted into Dhaka Medical College Hospital one year apart with almost similar complaints of intractable partial seizure, progressive hemiparesis and cognitive deterioration following an episode of encephalitis. Developmental milestones was age appropriate till occurrence of encephalitis, thereafter started deteriorating with progressive deterioration of cognition, behavior, learning, memory and speech. Different anticonvulsants were tried in optimal doses, yet seizure remained uncontrolled. After admission CSF study, EEG and brain imaging was done. EEG showed unilateral slow waves and MRI revealed unilateral cortical atrophy with hyper intense signals in T2 and FLAIR. According to European consensus statement both cases were diagnosed as Rasmussen's Encephalitis (RE). Key words: Rasmussen's Encephalitis; hemispheric atrophy; seizure. DOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v18i2.6283 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2009; 18(2) :178- 182