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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your doctor can usually diagnose measles based on the disease's characteristic rash as well as the small, bright red spots with bluish-white centers on the inside lining of the cheek, called Koplik's spots. If necessary, a blood test can confirm whether the rash is truly measles.

References
  1. Measles: Q&A about disease and vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/measles/faqs-dis-vac-risks.htm. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  2. Brunell PA. Measles (rubeola virus infection). In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.  http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/127725136-3/820414473/1492/1315.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50395-5_16443. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  3. Fact sheet: Measles. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/index.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Update: Measles-United States, January-July 2008. MMWR. 2008:57:893. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5733a1.htm. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  5. Barinaga JL, et al. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of measles. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  6. Facts about measles for adults. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. http://www.nfid.org/pdf/factsheets/measlesadult.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2009.
  7. Bekhor D, et al. Prevention and treatment of measles. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 25, 2009.
  8. Vaccine safety: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/mmr_vaccine.htm. Accessed March 25, 2009.
  9. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 9, 2009.

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June 2, 2009

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