Identification and treatment of surgically-remediable causes of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is a common developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with poor long-term outcomes. A substantial proportion of patients with IESS have a potentially surgically remediable etiology. Despite this, epilepsy surgery is underutilized in this patient group. Some surgically remediable etiologies, such as focal cortical dysplasia and malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia in epilepsy (MOGHE), are under-diagnosed in infants and young children. Even when a surgically remediable etiology is recognised, for example, tuberous sclerosis or focal encephalomalacia, epilepsy surgery may be delayed or not considered due to diffuse EEG changes, unclear surgical boundaries, or concerns about operating in this age group. AREAS COVERED: In this review, the authors discuss the common surgically remediable etiologies of IESS, their clinical and EEG features, and the imaging techniques that can aid in their diagnosis. They then describe the surgical approaches used in this patient group, and the beneficial impact that early epilepsy surgery can have on developing brain networks. EXPERT OPINION: Epilepsy surgery remains underutilized even when a potentially surgically remediable cause is recognized. Overcoming the barriers that result in under-recognition of surgical candidates and underutilization of epilepsy surgery in IESS will improve long-term seizure and developmental outcomes.

Epileptic spasms in clusters without hypsarrhythmia in infancy and childhood: A single age-dependent type of epilepsy or well-defined epileptic syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we present the electroclinical features and outcomes of 92 patients with epileptic spasms (ES) in clusters without modified or classical hypsarrhythmia that started in either in infancy or in childhood; we compared both groups in terms of electroclinical features, etiology, treatment, evolution, and outcome. METHODS: Between June 2000 and July 2022, 92 patients met the electroclinical diagnostic criteria of ES in clusters without hypsarrhythmia. Patients with ES associated with other epileptic encephalopathies including West Syndrome, as well as those with the specific etiology of ES and developmental and epileptic encephalopathy associated with CDKL5 were excluded. RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups based on the age at ES onset: those with ES onset before (Group 1) and those with ES onset after 2 years of age (Group 2). The features of ES and the type of associated seizures before and after ES onset, as well as the interictal and ictal EEG and electromyography findings were similar in both groups. The etiologies were mainly structural (40.2%), genetic (11.9%), and unknown (44.6%) in majority of the patients in both groups. Thirty-one patients were seizure-free, while in the remaining patients the seizures continued. Nine patients (9.8%) with unilateral structural lesions underwent surgery with good results. The neurological abnormalities and developmental findings prior to ES onset depended on the underlying etiology. CONCLUSION: Our series of patients may represent a well-defined epileptic syndrome or type of epilepsy with onset in infancy or childhood characterized by ES in clusters without hypsarrhythmia associated with focal and generalized seizures and EEG paroxysms without neurological deterioration.

Clinical seizure semiology is subtle and identification of seizures by parents is unreliable in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to assess the accuracy of parental seizure detection in infants with antenatally diagnosed tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), and to document the total seizure burden (clinical and subclinical) in those patients who met criteria for prolonged electroencephalography (EEG) recording. METHODS: Consecutive infants at a single institution with antenatally diagnosed TSC who met criteria for prolonged video-EEG (vEEG) were recruited to this study. The vEEG data were reviewed and when a seizure was identified on EEG, the video and audio recording was assessed for evidence of clinical seizure and, if present, whether there was evidence of parent seizure identification. RESULTS: Nine infants were enrolled, for whom 674 focal seizures were identified in eight of nine patients across 24 prolonged vEEG recordings, with vEEG total duration of 634 h 49 min (average seizure frequency of 1 focal seizure/h). Only 220 of 674 (32.6%) were clinical seizures, 395 of 674 (58.6%) were subclinical seizures, and 59 of 674 seizures could not be classified. Only 63 of 220 clinical seizures (28.6%) were identified by parents, with 157 of 220 (71.4%) not identified. Thirty clusters of epileptic spasms were detected in one patient. At least one clinical epileptic spasm occurred in 2 of 30 clusters (6.7%), 24 of 30 clusters of epileptic spasms (80%) were electrographic only, and classification was uncertain for 4 of 30 clusters (13.3%). No clinical epileptic spasms were detected by parents. Clinical seizure frequency was significantly underestimated by parents for all patients. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that in infants with TSC who met criteria for prolonged vEEG, (1) parents significantly under recognize total clinical seizure count, (2) parents fail to identify epileptic spasms, and (3) seizure frequency is high. This highlights that epilepsy treatment decisions should not be based solely on parental clinical seizure identification. Prolonged vEEG monitoring may have an important role in the routine epilepsy care of infants with TSC, as demonstrating undetected high clinical seizure frequency may allow improved epilepsy management decisions.

Diagnostic yield of a multi-strategy genetic testing procedure in a nationwide cohort of 728 patients with infantile spasms in China.

OBJECTIVE: Infantile spasms (IS) is a common epilepsy syndrome in infancy. Genetically based birth defects are among the many causes of infantile spasms. Genetic diagnosis can reveal the etiology of IS and guide treatment strategies and genetic counseling, but significant challenges surround the choice of appropriate genetic diagnostic strategies to improve the diagnostic yield in IS. METHODS: For a cohort of Chinese patients with IS, appropriate genetic testing methods were selected according to etiological classification. Methods included karyotyping, copy number variation detection, single-gene sequencing, targeted sequencing panel, and whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 728 children with IS from fifteen provinces and municipalities in China from June 2015 to October 2020 were recruited in the study. Among them, 436 were males (59.9%). The median age was 9.46 months. The diagnostic yield of our study was 31.5% (185/587). The top five causative genes were TSC2 (n = 91), STXBP1 (n = 21), TSC1 (n = 15), SCN2A (n = 6), and CDKL5 (n = 6). The genetic diagnostic yield was 100% in Down syndrome (n = 1), neurofibromatosis (n = 2), and methylmalonic acidemia (n = 2), 83.5% in tuberous sclerosis complex (n = 127), and 16.7% in unsolved infantile spasms (n = 442). Different genetic testing methods for different etiologies show large differences in diagnostic yields. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that appropriate genetic testing procedures for different phenotypes can ensure a high diagnostic yield.

Resective epilepsy surgery for West syndrome: The Hypsarrhythmic Asymmetric Scoring Scheme is a determining predictor of seizure outcome.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that asymmetric hypsarrhythmia is associated with structural etiology. We devised the Hypsarrhythmic Asymmetric Scoring Scheme (HASS) to quantify the degree of hypsarrhythmic asymmetry in a retrospective series of patients who underwent surgical treatment at our center. The present study aimed to investigate the role of HASS in predicting the postsurgical seizure outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 46 children with hypsarrhythmia who underwent resective epilepsy surgery between 2018 and 2020 and were followed up for at least 1 year after surgery. Hypsarrhythmia severity in each hemisphere was quantified and scored. The HASS score was calculated as the difference between the two hemispheres. Univariate results were submitted to logistic regression models to identify independent predictors for favorable surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 46 patients who underwent resective surgery, Engel's class I-Ⅱ outcomes were achieved in 34 (73.9%). The Engel I-Ⅱ group had a significantly higher HASS score than the Engel Ⅲ-Ⅳ group (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the HASS score was the only significant predictor of good outcomes (p = 0.011). Further receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that a threshold of 7 yielded a better seizure outcome with a sensitivity of 97.06% and specificity of 83.33%. SIGNIFICANCE: As the first hypsarrhythmia scoring system specially designed for presurgical evaluation, the HASS score may contribute to predicting the postsurgical seizure outcome from the electroencephalography perspective.

[Epileptic encephalopathies of onset in neonates and infants]. / Encefalopatías epilépticas de inicio en recién nacidos y lactantes.

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) recently socialized the proposed classification for epileptic syndromes of neonatal onset and up to the first 2 years of age, dividing them into self-limited epileptic syndromes and epileptic and developmental encephalopathies (DEEs). In this review we will focus on DEEs, defined as disorders in which there is developmental impairment related to both the underlying aetiology independent of epileptiform activity and epileptic encephalopathy. These include early infantile epileptic encephalopathy or Ohtahara syndrome and early myoclonic encephalopathy in the neonatal period, now grouped under the name of epileptic and early childhood developmental encephalopathies (EIDEE). Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome, childhood epilepsy with migratory crises and Dravet syndrome are part of the infant-onset encephalopathies. The importance of early recognition of epileptic encephalopathies lies not only in the control of epileptic seizures, but also in stopping deterioration by trying to change the course of the disease. It is essential to know the etiology, avoiding medications that can exacerbate seizures and worsen the course, applying precision m edicine as well as identifying candidate patients for early epilepsy surgery.

Recientemente la Liga Internacional contra la Epilepsia (ILAE) socializó la clasificación propuesta para síndromes epilépticos de inicio neonatal y hasta los primeros 2 años de edad, dividiéndolos en síndromes epilépticos autolimitados y las encefalopatías epilépticas y del desarrollo (DEEs). En esta revisión nos dedicaremos a las DEEs, definidas como trastornos donde existe deterioro del desarrollo relacionado tanto con la etiología subyacente independiente de la actividad epileptiforme como con la encefalopatía epiléptica. Estas incluyen en el período neonatal la encefalopatía epiléptica infantil temprana o síndrome de Ohtahara y la encefalopatía mioclónica temprana, ahora agrupadas bajo la denominación de encefalopatías epilépticas y del desarrollo infantil temprano (EIDEE). El síndrome de espamos epilépticos infantiles, la epilepsia de la infancia con crisis migratorias y el síndrome de Dravet forman parte de las encefalopatías de inicio en el lactante. La importancia del reconocimiento temprano de las encefalopatías epilépticas radica no solo en el control de las crisis epilépticas, sino en detener el deterioro intentando cambiar el curso de la enfermedad. Es fundamental conocer la etiología evitando medicamentos que puedan exacerbar las crisis y empeorar el curso, aplicando medicina de precisión así como identificando pacientes candidatos a cirugía temprana de epilepsia.

Clinical and electroencephalography characteristics of 41 children with epileptic spasms onset after 1 year of age.

The incidence of epileptic spasms (ES) that begin after the first year of life is much lower than that before 1 year of age. The aim of this study was to identify clinical and electroencephalography (EEG) characteristics, etiologies, treatments, and prognoses in pediatric patients with ES onset after 1 year of age. Forty-one children were retrospectively identified in Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 1, 2020 and December 1, 2021. ES onset after 1 year of age have diverse presentations. Although most occur in clusters, are symmetrical and flexional, and occur frequently during awakening, some are characterized as isolated and asymmetrical, have a tonic component, and can also occur during sleep. The hypsarrhythmia variants and focal or multifocal discharges occur alternately in the interictal period, and the focal spikes and slow waves predominated in the unilateral temporal or frontotemporal areas. These patients had diverse etiologies, including structural (51.2 % of patients) and genetic (22.0 %) ones, and 11 patients (26.8 %) had an unknown etiology. No patients in our study had an infectious or immune-mediated etiology. Forty-eight percent of patients responded to hydrocortisone and/or adrenocorticotropic hormone. The efficacy of antiepileptic drug therapy was lower in patients who did not receive concurrent steroid therapy. However, ES onset after 1 year of age caused by a tumor, brain malformation, or other focal lesions, may be cured by focal cortical resection despite a lack of clearly localized EEG surface anomalies. Delays in motor, language, and cognitive development, or behavioral problems were observed in all but three patients.

Treatment of Infantile Spasm Syndrome: Update from the Interdisciplinary Guideline Committee Coordinated by the German-Speaking Society of Neuropediatrics.

OBJECTIVES: The manuscript serves as an update on the current management practices for infantile spasm syndrome (ISS). It includes a detailed summary of the level of current evidence of different treatment options for ISS and gives recommendations for the treatment and care of patients with ISS. METHODS: A literature search was performed using the Cochrane and Medline Databases (2014 to July 2020). All studies were objectively rated using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. For recommendations, the evidence from these studies was combined with the evidence from studies used in the 2014 guideline. RECOMMENDATIONS: If ISS is suspected, electroencephalography (EEG) should be performed within a few days and, if confirmed, treatment should be initiated immediately. Response to first-line treatment should be evaluated clinically and electroencephalographically after 14 days. The preferred first-line treatment for ISS consists of either hormone-based monotherapy (AdrenoCorticoTropic Hormone [ACTH] or prednisolone) or a combination of hormone and vigabatrin. Children with tuberous sclerosis complex and those with contraindications against hormone treatment should be treated with vigabatrin. If first-line drugs are ineffective, second-line treatment options such as ketogenic dietary therapies, sulthiame, topiramate, valproate, zonisamide, or benzodiazepines should be considered. Children refractory to drug therapy should be evaluated early for epilepsy surgery, especially if focal brain lesions are present. Parents should be informed about the disease, the efficacy and adverse effects of the medication, and support options for the family. Regular follow-up controls are recommended.

Case Report: Neurodevelopmental Outcome in a Small-for-Gestational-Age Infant With Symptomatic Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia, Gaze Preference, and Infantile Spasms.

Recurrent and profound hypoglycemia is a leading cause of neonatal brain injury. Small-for-gestational-age infants are at risk of hypoglycemia due to substrate deficiency and hyperinsulinism. Inappropriate insulin secretion by the ß-cells of the pancreas results in hypoglycemia, neuronal energy deprivation, and parieto-occipital brain injury. Hypoglycemic neuronal injury is increasingly being identified as a trigger for infantile spasms, even though the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain elusive. A term, small-for-gestational-age male infant developed severe symptomatic hypoglycemia on day 3 of life. He required a high glucose infusion rate (14 mg/kg/min) to maintain normoglycemia. Critical blood samples showed inappropriate insulin levels while hypoglycemic and hypoketonemic, consistent with a diagnosis of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Blood glucose levels normalized with a diazoxide dose of 5 mg/kg/day. Gradually, glucose infusion was weaned with increasing oral feeds while maintaining prefeed capillary blood glucose levels. While at home, his glucose profile remained stable on the self-weaning dose of diazoxide. He passed a resolution fasting study at 4 months of age after weaning off diazoxide. He developed left gaze preference at 2.5 months of age while on treatment for hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia but developed infantile spasms at 5 months that was confirmed with an electroencephalogram (EEG). Gaze preference may be epileptic, even in the absence of seizures. Spasms were well controlled with high-dose prednisolone therapy. At the age of 6 years, he has a mild fine motor delay and learning disabilities. Early diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms have a better prognosis. Identifying gaze preference as a predating sign of occipital lobe epilepsy, EEG monitoring, and, if required, treatment could have possibly averted the genesis of infantile spasms.

Delineating the epilepsy phenotype of NRROS-related microgliopathy: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Negative regulator of reactive oxygen species (NRROS) related microgliopathy, a rare and recently recognized neurodegenerative condition, is caused by pathogenic variants in the NRROS gene, which plays a major role in the regulation of transforming growth factor-beta 1. METHODS: We report a child presenting with infantile spasms syndrome (ISS) with subsequent progressive neurodegeneration who was identified to harbour a novel likely pathogenic NRROS variant (c.1359del; p.Ser454Alafs*11). The previously published reports of patients with this disorder were also reviewed systematically. RESULTS: Including our index patient, 11 children (6 girls) were identified in total. Early development was normal in seven of these eleven children. All had a history of drug-resistant epilepsy, with 3 having epileptic spasms. The median age at seizure onset and developmental regression was 12 months, and the median age at death was 36 months. Intracranial calcifications were described in eight of eleven children. Neuroimaging revealed progressive cerebral atrophy and white matter loss in all children. The most common reported genetic variation was c.1981delC; (p.Leu661Serfs*97) observed in two families (likely due to a founder effect). CONCLUSIONS: Pathogenic variants in NRROS should be suspected in children with neuro-regression and drug-resistant epilepsy including ISS with onset in the first two years of life. Punctate or serpiginous calcifications at the grey-white matter junction and acquired microcephaly are further clues towards the diagnosis.

A novel frameshift c.22_25dupGCAT mutation of the NDP gene in a Chinese infant with Norrie disease: A case report.

RATIONALE: Norrie disease (ND) is a rare X-linked recessive disease characterized by bilateral congenital blindness and auditory impairments. According to the previous studies, Norrin cystine knot growth factor (NDP) gene have been found to be responsible for ND. Herein, we report a case of ND with a novel mutation in NDP and elucidate the clinical and molecular characteristics of this patient. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 2-month-old Chinese male infant presented with gray-white opacification in the bilateral cornea. Vitreous opacity and retinal detachment were observed on ocular ultrasound. Furthermore, a novel de novo hemizygous mutation (c.22_25dupGCAT, p.S9Cfs∗18) in exon 2 of the NDP gene was identified by next-generation sequencing. SWISS-MODEL predicted that the c.22_25dupGCAT mutation truncated the NDP protein. DIAGNOSIS: Based on the above clinical and genetic evidence, this patient was eventually diagnosed with ND. INTERVENTIONS: Currently, no clinical therapy is available for ND. OUTCOMES: In addition to the typical ocular symptoms, no other abnormalities were observed. The patient's vital signs remained stable and normal. LESSON: A novel causative mutation of NDP was identified using next-generation sequencing. Our report expands the pathogenic mutation spectrum of NDP and facilitates genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of molecular genetic testing in the diagnosis of ND.

Epilepsy in adult patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the evolution of epilepsy in individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in adulthood. This study aims at describing the characteristics of epilepsy in adult TSC patients attending a single multidisciplinary clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data about epilepsy (age at onset, seizure types, history of infantile spasms (IS), epilepsy diagnosis and outcome), genetic and neuroradiological findings, cognitive outcome and psychiatric comorbidities. RESULTS: Out of 257 adults with TSC, 183 (71.2%) had epilepsy: 121 (67.2%) were drug-resistant; 59 (32.8%) seizure-free, at a median age of 18 years. 22% of the seizure-free patients (13/59) discontinued medication. Median age at seizure onset was 9 months. Seventy-six patients (41.5%) had a history of IS. TSC2 pathogenic variants (p = 0.018), cortical tubers (p < 0.001) and subependymal nodules (SENs) (p < 0.001) were more frequent in those who developed epilepsy. Cognitive functioning was lower (p < 0.001) and psychiatric disorders more frequent (p = 0.001). We did not find significant differences regarding age, gender, mutation and tubers/SENs in seizure-free vs drug-resistant individuals. Intellectual disability (p < 0.001) and psychiatric disorders (p = 0.004) were more common among drug-resistant patients. CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy in TSC can be a lifelong disorder, but one-third of individuals reach seizure freedom by early adulthood. In the long term, age at epilepsy onset has a crucial role in drug resistance and in developing intellectual disability, both in drug-resistant and drug-sensible patients. Patients with drug-refractory seizures tend to develop psychiatric issues, which should be recognized and adequately treated.

Norrie disease with a spontaneously shrinking choroid plexus abnormality: a case report.

Background: Norrie disease is a genetic disorder of the retina characterized by impaired retinal vascular development leading to retinal detachment and blindness. Non-retinal manifestations of the disorder include intellectual disability and seizure disorders. However, to date, no association with neurological mass lesions has been described.Materials and methods: Case reporResults: Here, we report a case of a patient with Norrie disease who presented with an enhancing mass of the choroid plexus that spontaneously diminished in size. Conclusion: This report suggests watchful waiting as a reasonable clinical approach to choroid plexus lesions in patients with Norrie disease.

Lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy associated with adrenocorticotropin hormone administration in an infant with West syndrome.

We present the rare case of lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy associated with adrenocorticotropin hormone therapy in an infant with West syndrome, highlighting their relatively benign nature and good prognosis in children, and the relevance of the differential diagnosis with more dangerous cardiac masses in order to avoid aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Epileptic Spasms in a Large Hypothalamic Hamartoma Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Hypothalamic hamartoma is rarely associated with epileptic spasms. We describe epileptic spasms in a large cohort of hypothalamic hamartoma patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review between March 2011 and March 2020 to identify patients with hypothalamic hamartoma and epilepsy. RESULTS: We identified 114 patients with hypothalamic hamartoma and epilepsy, only 3 male patients (2.6%) also had epileptic spasms. The epileptic spasms developed between 6 and 18 months of age. Epileptic spasms resolved with oral prednisolone in 1 and with vigabatrin in the second patient. The third patient continued epileptic spasms despite multiple antiepileptic drugs and partial resection of hypothalamic hamartoma. All 3 patients underwent laser-ablation of hypothalamic hamartoma at the age of 14, 29, and 63 months. The seizure burden decreased by 100%, 84%, and 93% at follow-up (3-47 months). CONCLUSIONS: Epileptic spasms are rare in hypothalamic hamartoma patients and early laser-ablation could potentially treat epileptic spasms and all other seizure types associated with hypothalamic hamartoma.

Association between diffuse cerebral MRI lesions and the occurrence and intractableness of West syndrome in tuberous sclerosis complex.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to clarify the association between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-lesion patterns, including cortices and white matters, and the development, occurrence, and intractableness of West syndrome in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), using visual analysis. METHODS: We collected data for 44 patients with TSC who had undergone brain MRI and developmental evaluation after the ages of 2 and 3 years, respectively. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T1-weighted images were used to analyze the number of cyst-like tubers, the number of cyst-like subcortical lesions, and the presence of diffuse lesions involving the cortices and white matter. RESULTS: Developmental delays were observed in 28 patients. Nineteen patients had a history of West syndrome. Cyst-like tubers (range: 1-10), cyst-like subcortical lesions (range: 1-4), and diffuse lesions (range: 1-6 areas) were observed in 15, 9, and 14 patients, respectively. In the univariate analyses, all MRI findings were associated with development and/or history of West syndrome. However, in the multivariate analyses, only the diffuse lesion was associated with severe development (p = 0.003) and history of West syndrome (p = 0.012). In the subanalysis of patients with West syndrome, the diffuse lesions were also associated with pharmacological intractableness. Patients with diffuse lesions had a history of West syndrome with sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 96%. Patients with two or more areas of diffuse lesions had history of pharmacologically intractable West syndrome with sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 91%. CONCLUSIONS: Diffuse lesions may help to predict the poor neurological outcomes in patients with TSC.

Síndrome de Proteus y síndrome de West en lactante femenina / Proteus Syndrome and West Syndrome in female infant

Introducción: El síndrome de Proteus es un raro síndrome hamartomoso congenito con manifestaciones neuroectodérmicas, de carácter progresivo y grado de severidad variable. Objetivo: Presentar un caso clínico donde se combinan dismorfias faciales, crecimiento excesivo de una hemicara, macrocráneo y manifestaciones neurológicas. Presentación del caso: lactante de 10 meses, femenina, con antecedentes de embarazo de riesgo, hija de madre adolescente, con exposición fetal a tabaco, marihuana y alcohol; nació con macrocefalia, dismorfia facial con hemihipertrofia derecha y nevó hiperpigmentado que comenzó con espasmos infantiles desde el primer mes vida y se diagnosticó síndrome west de etiología estructural con hemimegancefalia derecha. Cumple los criterios clínicos de síndrome de Proteus y tuvo una respuesta favorable con control de los espasmos, mejoría de la hipsarritmia y del desarrollo psicomotor, con tratamiento combinado de hormona adenocorticotrópica y vigabatrina. Conclusiones: el síndrome de Proteus se caracteriza por crecimiento exagerado en varios tejidos (epidérmico, conectivo, óseo, adiposo y endotelial) durante la embriogénesis, por lo que las manifestaciones clínicas suelen ser evidentes desde el nacimiento o en los primeros años de vida, se relaciona con un grupo de casos con malformaciones del sistema nervioso central y síndrome de West(AU)

Introduction: Proteus syndrome is a rare congenital hamartoma syndrome with neuroectodermal manifestations of progressive kind and a degree of variable severity. Objective: To present a clinical case where facial diysmorphias, the excessive growth of a hemicara, a macro-skull, and neurological manifestations are combined. Case presentation: A 10-month-old female infant with a history of risky pregnancy, daughter of a teenage mother, with fetal exposure to tobacco, marijuana and alcohol. She was born with macrocephaly, facial dysmorphia with right hemihypertrophy, hyperpigmented nevus that started with infantile spasms from the first month of life; and West syndrome of structural etiology with right hemimegalencephaly was diagnosed. The patient meets the clinical criteria of Proteus syndrome and she had a favorable response to the combined treatment of adrenocorticotropic hormone and Vigabatrin with control of spasms, improvement of hypsarrhythmia and psychomotor development. Conclusions: Proteus syndrome is characterized by exaggerated growth in various tissues (epidermal, connective, bone, adipose and endothelial) during embryogenesis, so that clinical manifestations are usually evident from birth or in the first years of life. It is related with a group of cases with malformations of the central nervous system and West syndrome(AU)

PRICKLE1-related early onset epileptic encephalopathy.

The PRICKLE1 (Prickle Planar Cell Polarity Protein 1-MIM 608500) gene is involved in different phases of human development. The related diseases include autosomal recessive progressive myoclonus epilepsy - ataxia syndrome, neural tube defects associated with heterozygous mutations, agenesis of corpus callosum, polymicrogyria, and autistic spectrum disorder. Reported here is a young boy with a new variant (NM_153026.2:c.820G>A, p.Ala274Thr) presenting with an early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with developmental arrest.

Cannabis for the Treatment of Epilepsy: an Update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: For millennia, there has been interest in the use of cannabis for the treatment of epilepsy. However, it is only recently that appropriately powered controlled studies have been completed. In this review, we present an update on the research investigating the use of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, in the treatment of epilepsy. RECENT FINDINGS: While the anticonvulsant mechanism of action of CBD has not been entirely elucidated, we discuss the most recent data available including its low affinity for the endocannabinoid receptors and possible indirect modulation of these receptors via blocking the breakdown of anandamide. Additional targets include activation of the transient receptor potential of vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1), antagonist action at GPR55, targeting of abnormal sodium channels, blocking of T-type calcium channels, modulation of adenosine receptors, modulation of voltage-dependent anion selective channel protein (VDAC1), and modulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha release. We also discuss the most recent studies on various artisanal CBD products conducted in patients with epilepsy in the USA and internationally. While a high percentage of patients in these studies reported improvement in seizures, these studies were either retrospective or conducted via survey. Dosage/preparation of CBD was either unknown or not controlled in the majority of these studies. Finally, we present data from both open-label expanded access programs (EAPs) and randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) of a highly purified oral preparation of CBD, which was recently approved by the FDA in the treatment of epilepsy. In the EAPs, there was a significant improvement in seizure frequency seen in a large number of patients with various types of treatment-refractory epilepsy. The RCTs have shown significant seizure reduction compared to placebo in patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Finally, we describe the available data on adverse effects and drug-drug interactions with highly purified CBD. While this product is overall well tolerated, the most common side effects are diarrhea and sedation, with sedation being much more common in patients taking concomitant clobazam. There was also an increased incidence of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase elevations while taking CBD, with many of the patients with these abnormalities also taking concomitant valproate. CBD has a clear interaction with clobazam, significantly increasing the levels of its active metabolite N-desmethylclobazam in several studies; this is felt to be due to CBD's inhibition of CYP2C19. EAP data demonstrate other possible interactions with rufinamide, zonisamide, topiramate, and eslicarbazepine. Additionally, there is one case report demonstrating need for warfarin dose adjustment with concomitant CBD. Understanding of CBD's efficacy and safety in the treatment of TRE has expanded significantly in the last few years. Future controlled studies of various ratios of CBD and THC are needed as there could be further therapeutic potential of these compounds for patients with epilepsy.