[Possible etiologies of West syndrome: evaluation of 95 patients]. / Possíveis etiologias da Síndrome de West: avaliação de 95 pacientes.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the etiologies of West syndrome (WS) among children followed in a rehabilitation center. METHOD: Retrospective study with emphasis in the following items gender, age at the diagnosis of WS and its etiology. The etiologies were divided into three categories symptomatic, cryptogenic and idiopathic. Symptomatic cases were classified as follows pre, post and perinatal. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included. Fifty-nine were boys (62%). Mean age at the diagnosis was 4.9 (+/- 5.0) months. There were 25 cryptogenic (26.3%), one idiopathic (1.1%) and 69 (72.6%) symptomatic cases, most of them of perinatal origin. CONCLUSION: Our findings are in agreement with the literature. In the future, as our knowledge in the field of WS and its diagnostic methods increase, there will be a small number of cryptogenic and idiopathic cases.