BACKGROUND: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a potentially fatal 
complication of measles. The authors report a case of recurrent myoclonic jerks 
under investigation, whose ophthalmic examination pointed to the diagnosis.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 12-year-old boy with recurrent episodes of myoclonic jerks 
was found to have optic disc pallor and an irregular macular scar with 
pigmentation in the left eye. The retinal finding proved to be a strong 
diagnostic clue for SSPE. There was a history of exanthematous fever in 
childhood. Antibodies against measles were detected in both the cerebrospinal 
fluid and serum. Retinitis with intraretinal and subretinal hemorrhage in the 
right eye was noted 6-weeks after the initial presentation.
CONCLUSION: The authors describe the importance of ophthalmic evaluation in 
cases of recurrent myoclonic jerks. Optical coherence tomographic features and 
ultrawide field imaging characteristics of a case of SSPE are described.