Association of Child Neurology (AOCN) Consensus Statement on the Diagnosis and Management of Febrile Seizures.

JUSTIFICATION: Febrile seizures are quite common in children but there are controversies in many aspects of their diagnosis and management. METHODS: An expert group consisting of pediatric neurologists and pediatricians was constituted. The modified Delphi method was used to develop consensus on the issues of definitions and investigations. The writing group members reviewed the literature and identified the contentious issues under these subheadings. The questions were framed, pruned, and discussed among the writing group members. The final questions were circulated to all experts during the first round of Delphi consensus. The results of the first round were considered to have arrived at a consensus if more than 75% experts agreed. Contentious issues that reached a 50-75% agreement was discussed further in online meetings and subsequently voting was done over an online platform to arrive at a consensus. Three rounds of Delphi were conducted to arrive at final statements. RESULTS: The expert group arrived at a consensus on 52 statements. These statements pertain to definitions of febrile seizures, role of blood investigations, urine investigations, neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid analysis and screening for micronutrient deficiency. In addition, role of rescue medications, intermittent anti-seizure medication and continuous prophylaxis, antipyretic medication and micronutrient supplementation have been covered. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus statement addresses various contentious issues pertaining to the diagnosis and management of febrile seizures. Adoption of these statements in office practice will improve and standardize the care of children with this disorder.

Quiste renal simple infectado. A propósito de un caso / Infected simple renal cyst. Case report

OBJETIVO: Presentar un nuevo caso de quiste renal simple infectado, su diagnóstico y el tratamiento aplicado. MÉTODOS. Paciente femenina de 30 años de edad, ingresada en sala de Medicina Interna por síndrome febril prolongado. Al examen físico presentaba taquicardia y dolor a la palpación profunda del hipocondrio izquierdo. El ultrasonido abdominal informó la existencia de un quiste renal izquierdo de gran tamaño con contenido de alta ecogenicidad, corroborándose hiperdensidad del líquido en la tomografía axial computarizada simple y contrastada. RESULTADOS. Se realizó la punción del quiste por vía lumbar, obteniéndose aproximadamente 400 mililitros de un líquido amarillo claro e inodoro; luego se le esclerosó con etanol. El estudio microbiológico del líquido extraído fue negativo. La evolución clínica de la paciente ha sido satisfactoria y los controles ultrasonográficos renales normales. CONCLUSIONES. Ante un quiste renal simple infectado, cuya localización permita el abordaje lumbar percutáneo, el tratamiento recomendado es la punción y esclerosis sincrónicos, más antibióticoterapia parenteral con ciprofloxacina(AU)

OBJECTIVE: To present a new case of an infected simple renal cyst, its diagnosis and the treatmentcarried out. METHODS: 30 year-old female patient admitted to the Internal Medicine ward suffering a prolonged fever syndrome. On physical examination she presented tachycardia and pain in the left hypochondrium on deep palpation. Abdominal ultrasound revealed the existence of a great size left renal cyst with a highly echogenic content; this liquid hyperdensity was confirmed by simple and i.v. contrastCT scan. RESULTS: Cyst punction was performed through a lumbar via, getting approximately 400 millilitres of a clear and odourless yellow liquid; then it was sclerosed with ethanol. The microbiological study of the extracted liquid was negative. The patient’s clinical evolution has been satisfactory and renal ultrasound controls were normal. CONCLUSIONS: Faced with a simple infected renal cyst whose location allows percutaneous lumbar approach, punction with synchronic sclerosis plus parenteral antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin is the recommended treatment(AU)

New vistas and views in the concept of generalized epilepsies.

The aim of this work is to show explicitly why the "idiopathic generalized epilepsy" concept becomes outfashioned and untenable. As the concept of "generalized epilepsies" is from long ago closely related to the thalamo-cortical system, we briefly summarize the functional anatomy, the double working mode of the thalamo-cortical system in different vigilance states and it's role in development of the spike-wave pattern. The next part shows weaknesses of this concept from the EEG, seizure semiology, and neuroimaging point of view. Further experimental and clinical arguments are accumulated from the reflex epileptic features in IGE, indicating local/regional cortical hyperexcitability. A separate part is devoted to genetic aspects of the question. Lastly implications to epilepsy classification are shown and an outlook toward a unified epilepsy concept is provided. The epileptic disorder of the thalamo-cortical system is responsible for the development of "generalized", synchronous spike-wave paroxysms as the common neurophysiological background in "primary" - idiopathic and in "secondary" generalized epilepsies. This disorder is specifically related to the burstfiring working mode of the thalamo-cortical system during NREM sleep (is an epileptic exageration of it). The "generalized" epilepsy category should be abandoned, being misleading. Epilepsies are proposed to be classified according to their network properties and relations to different physiological systems of the brain. The different phenotypes, named earlier idiopathic (primary) generalized, or symptomatic (secondary) generalized (with encephalopathic features), should be delineated depending on the following factors: 1. speed and extent of syncronization within the thalamo-cortical system, 2. the way how the thalamo-cortical system is involved, 3. which kind of cortical triggers play role, 4. the degree and level of the disorder (restricted to the molecular level or extended to the level of structural alterations - in the cortex or more diffusely, 5. genetic targets and features.

Zinc concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid simultaneously decrease in children with febrile seizure: findings from a prospective study in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: Since the underlying mechanisms of febrile seizure (FS) having multi-factorial aetiology yet remains unclear, we conducted this prospectively designed cross-sectional study to determine if there was any simultaneous change in zinc (Zn) concentration (conc.) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) among the FS children in comparison to their matched non-seizure febrile (NSF) peers. METHODS: Zn concentration (level) in both serum (intravenous blood) and CSF (lumber puncture: LP) of 50 children with FS and 30 NSF peers (serving as control) were measured employing graphite furnace atomic absorbance spectrophotometer. Data were analysed to compare Zn level between two groups using appropriate statistical tools employing SPSS/Windows 12.0. RESULTS: Mean Zn conc. in both serum and CSF was less in FS children (464.60 +/- 64.57 and 46.28 +/- 7.46, respectively) than their matched NSF peers (749.33 +/- 73.19 microg/L and 111.28 +/- 19.11 microg/L, respectively) showing significant differences both in serum (p < 0.001) and CSF (p < 0.001). None of serum or CSF-Zn differed significantly with age, degree and duration of fever between FS and NSF peers. CSF-Zn among these children showed an upward trend in LP specimen taken beyond 12 h following FS episodes. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Serum and CSF-Zn simultaneously decreased in FS children in comparison to their matched NSF peers. Further prospectively designed multicentral studies are recommended to conduct in geographically diverse regions involving larger sample to confirm or refute our findings. It remains crucial in standardizing/strengthening national seizure prevention protocol with adequate Zn supplementation.

Pediatric hypocalcemic seizures: a case of rickets.

Although cases of Vitamin D-deficient Rickets have declined since the Industrial Revolution, certain populations remain at risk. Risk factors for developing vitamin D-deficient Rickets include breast-feeding without formula or vitamin supplementation, very dark skin and inadequate exposure to sunlight. We describe a case of Rickets in a breastfed infant with dark skin who presented with hypocalcemic seizures. The pathophysiology of Rickets is briefly described along with the emergency management of infants presenting with hypocalcemic seizure.

Convulsiones febriles / Febrile seizures

Las crisis febriles son el evento convulsivo más frecuente en niños menores de 5 años. La etiología es desconocida, aunque existe una importante predisposición genética. En general, la clínica es suficiente para hacer el diagnóstico, sin necesidad de ninguna prueba complementaria. El tratamiento agudo de las crisis, la evaluación del síndrome febril y una cuidadosa información a los padres son los principales objetivos del tratamiento. La profilaxis con fármacos antiepilépticos no está indicada para la prevención de las recurrencias. La mayoría de los niños con convulsiones febriles tienen buen pronóstico a largo plazo (AU)

Febrile seizures are the most common convulsive event in children younger tan 5 years of age. The etiology is unknown but there is an important genetic predisposition. Usually clinical assessment is sufficient for diagnosis, without need of any complementary test. Acute seizure treatment, evaluation of febrile syndrome and careful parental counseling are the most important goals of treatment. Prophylaxis with antiepileptic drugs is not indicated to prevent recurrences. The majority of children with febrile seizures have a normal long-tem outcome (AU)