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Koplik’s spots are grayish-white spots that appear in the mouth of children with measles, indicating the infection. Measles is highly contagious and can cause complications in vulnerable individuals. Vaccination is recommended to prevent its spread.
Koplik’s spots are tiny grayish-white spots that look like grains of sand surrounded by a reddish ring. They often appear in the mouth of children infected with measles. These Koplik’s spots are mostly seen on the lining of the inner cheek, called the buccal mucosa, especially along the opposite side of the lower molars. When Koplik’s spots are present, it is almost always indicative of a measles infection.
Measles is caused by the rubeola virus of the Paramyxoviridae family. It is considered one of the most contagious childhood diseases. The spread of the virus occurs through sneezing, coughing and direct contact with the secretions of infected people. The virus can usually survive outside the body for up to two hours, remaining active in the air and on surfaces touched by infected people. Infected individuals also become infectious days before the rashes appear or during the initial phase of the infection, often before measles is even diagnosed, and remain infectious many days after the characteristic rash appears.
Measles infection usually occurs in children between the ages of five and ten, although it can also appear in adults who have not been vaccinated. After exposure to an infected individual, the virus incubates within the body for 10 to 12 days. After the incubation period, mild symptoms such as cough, red eyes or conjunctivitis, sensitivity to light or photophobia, runny nose and fever occur, frequently followed by the appearance of Koplik’s spots on the buccal mucosa. Koplik’s spots disappear quickly, usually after 18 hours.
Koplik’s spots are not, in themselves, dangerous and do not require specific treatment. They are a clear indicator of measles, however, and are often used as an early diagnostic indicator of the disease. Since conjunctivitis, a runny nose, and fever are common signs of many different diseases, Koplik’s spots are an important early symptom and are found in most patients with early-diagnosed measles.
Measles can be mild in most children, but malnourished children and those with compromised immune systems, whether due to AIDS or other illnesses, usually present with complications such as pneumonia, blindness, encephalitis, or swelling of the brain and sometimes death. Having measles while pregnant can lead to miscarriage and low birth weight babies. Pediatricians recommend vaccinating babies 12 to 15 months old to prevent the spread of measles in the community. Children and adults who suffer from measles become immune to the virus and will no longer get the disease.
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