[Delayed measles encephalitis in a leukemic child].

A case of measles encephalitis of the delayed type in a 5 year-old girl is reported. The encephalitis occurred 6 months after a measles which supervened just after the 18th monthly reinduction treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The child died one month later. This measles inclusion body encephalitis (MIBE) was confirmed by the presence of intracellular inclusions in the brain cells visualized by electron microscopy. The evidence of viral related intracellular nucleocapsides was confirmed by in situ hybridization. These nucleocapsides were identical to those seen in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.