ISSN:
1432-1076
Keywords:
Infantile spasms
;
Etiological factors
;
Clinical aspects
;
Long term prognosis
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract The etiological factors, clinical aspects and long term prognosis were studied in 200 patients with infantile spasms. Forty-eight (24.0%) died and the rest were aged 6 years or more at the time of final follow-up. In 73 (36.5%) the etiology was prenatal, in 44 (22.0%) perinatal, and in 17 (8.5%) postnatal: 18 cases (9.0%) were cryptogenic. The remaining 48 (24.0%) patients were doubtful cases. The mortality of the pre-and perinatal cases at 35.6% and 34.1% respectively was significantly higher than that in the other etiologic groups (P〈0.001). With regard to the onset of spasms, these were very carly in the pre-and perinatal groups, whereas in the postnatal group the onset was late. The onset in the doubtful and cryptogenic groups was in between. Some 44.4% of the cryptogenic cases showed normal mental and physical development after the age of 6 years, whereas less than 10% of the prenatal and perinatal group did so. Almost all of the doubtful cases became mentally subnormal. The incidence of a family history of epilepsy or other convulsive disorders in the first, second and third degree relatives was highest in the cryptogenic cases (40.0%), and lowest in the perinatal cases (9.3%) (P〈0.01). The incidence of laughing attacks was highest in the postnatal cases (42.9%), against no such attacks in cryptogenic cases (P〈0.01). The attacks seemed to be linked with organic brain lesions. Among various factors related to the etiology of infantile spasms, genetic propensity seemed especially important in cryptogenic cases.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00442097
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