| Noun | 1. | Dawson's encephalitis - a rare chronic progressive encephalitis caused by the measles virus and occurring primarily in children and young adults; death usually occurs within three years; characterized by primary measles infection before the age of two years Bosin's disease, inclusion body encephalitis, sclerosing leukoencephalitis, SSPE, subacute inclusion body encephalitis, subacute sclerosing leukoencephalitis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, Van Bogaert encephalitis panencephalitis - diffuse inflammation of the entire brain |