Measles Symptoms

Measles symptoms

        The patient's face is swollen. The facial swelling is accompanied by swelling around the eye sockets, conjunctivitis and, in some patients, photophobia (fear of light due to a generally unpleasant sensation and sometimes pain caused by it). Examination of the inside of the mouth shows the presence of exanthem: eruption on the buccal mucosa (cell layer protective covering inside the mouth) called a sign of Koplik. Koplik's sign is a sprinkling of small white spots inside the cheeks. These spots look like tiny grains of white sand and are sometimes accompanied by inflammation of the pharynx and laryngeal mucosa, trachea and bronchi.

        One to two days after the sign of Koplik (ie 3 to 5 days after symptom onset),appears a rash of spots made of red coloring. The spots correspond to a skin lesion consisting of a usually red spot (but not in all cases) whose size may vary. It presents no significant relief to the skin surface and in some cases, it disappears when pressed, using the finger for example. This eruption has the following characteristics: it starts on the face (front and below the ears) and runs primarily on the side of the neck and then quickly to the entire body (trunk and limbs), while parallel macules of the face begin to disappear. Overall, the spots are likely to congregate in large red patches.

        In some patients whose achievement has been particularly severe, have been described petechiae and bruises. These eruptions correspond to very small tasks purpura. Purpura is an abnormal flow of blood to the skin or mucous membranes: they are dotted with small red or bright blue spots which with age become brownish or yellowish. Eruption is sometimes accompanied by pruritus (itching light). The fever and rash regress in less than a week. However, hyperthermia (elevated temperature) can sometimes exceed 40 ° C.

Atypical measles symptoms

        This syndrome (group of symptoms) usually occurs in people who have been vaccinated with the first vaccine against measles (which consisted of killed viruses and are not currently marketed). It seems that the use of vaccine containing inactivated virus does not prevent infection by the wild virus. They are also likely to sensitize the patient, leading to a modified measles. Koplik's sign allows the diagnosis at this point. It consists of a scattering of small white spots, as big as a pinhead, on a red lining on the inside of the cheeks against the premolars. Three or four days later, the sign of Koplik disappears and it is replaced by the eruption.

        The measles rash is typical: small red spots more or less raised (maculopapular) of a few millimeters in diameter that coalesce into large beaches but always leaving intervals of healthy skin. Some items may be colored blood skin (purpura by lower platelet count or thrombocytopenia). The rash begins on the face behind the ears and extends gradually. On Day 2, it reaches across the face, neck, upper chest. The 3rd day, the trunk and upper limbs are affected. The lower limbs are affected on the 4th day.

        During this eruptive phase, it remains high fever, cough and "eye-ear catarrh, naso-pharyngo-laryngo-intestinal" persists (= eye discharge, otitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, diarrhea). The pacient is very tired. When the rash fades, it is replaced by a fine desquamation seen a few days. The fever disappeared except in case of complications. The recovery is for a dozen days and the pacient is still tired.