Abstract: Objective To compare the clinical features between measles in adult and juvenile patients, and to provide references for correct diagnosis and early prevention of measles. Methods Clinical data were retrospectively collected from and analyzed for 239 inpatients with measles in the hospital. Results The ratio of males to females was 1 ∶ 1.4 and 2.9 ∶ 1 among adult patients （n = 129） and juvenile patients （n = 110）, respectively. The average duration from fever to eruption was shorter in adults than in juveniles （2.43 ± 1.34） days vs （4.26 ± 2.69） days, （t = 6.48, P < 0.01）. The incidence of hyperthermia, catarrhal symptoms, Koplik spots, conjunctival hyperemia, diarrhea and thrombocytopenia was 33.0%, 65.0%, 78.3%, 84.5%, 42.7% and 17.8%, respectively among adult patients, 14.5%, 50.9%, 56.4%, 69.0%, 22.9% and 9.0%, respectively among juveniles; the difference was significant between the two groups in all the above rates （P < 0.01 or 0.05）. Meanwhile, elevated activity of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）, creatine kinase （CK）, MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase （CK-MB）, aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, alanine aminotransferase （ALT） was found in 63.6%, 43.4%, 38.0%, 59.7% and 48.1% of the adult inpatients, respectively, 42.7%, 28.0%, 20.0%, 41.8% and 30.9% of juvenile patients, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant（χ2 =10.38, 5.95, 6.73, 7.59, 7.27, P < 0.01, 0.05, 0.01, 0.01, 0.01, respectively）. Furthermore, the increase of LDH activity correlated with the occurrence of complications （χ2 = 12.60, P < 0.01）. Bronchopneumonia was diagnosed in 16.3% of adult inpatients with measles and 31.8% of juvenile inpatients （t = 7.99, P < 0.01）. Conclusions Measles in adults tends to have a more severe clinical symptom but a better prognosis compared with measles in juveniles; however, this is often ignored in clinical practice.