[Apparent life-threatening event in infants: think about star anise intoxication!]. / Malaise du nourrisson pensez à une intoxication à l'anis étoilé

UNLABELLED: In previous years, several publications have reported cases of infants presenting neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms after ingestion of star anise tea. Such teas are sometimes given in various cultures for the treatment of infant colic pains. In most cases, the cause of intoxication was contamination of Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) by Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum). Indeed, the toxicity of Illicium anisatum, also known as Shikimi, is caused by its content in potent neurotoxins (anisatin, neoanisatin, and pseudoanisatin), due to their activity as non-competitive antagonists of GABA receptors. The main reasons explaining the frequent contaminations are the strong macroscopic resemblance of the 2 substances, as well as the fact that the fruits are often sold partially broken or in ground form. Therefore, in most cases, chemical analysis is required to determine the possible adulterations. CASE REPORT: A 2-month-old infant, in good general health, was brought to the emergency unit after 3 consecutive episodes of central cyanosis and tetany of the limbs with spontaneous recovery the same afternoon. The child was also very irritable, regurgitated a lot, and positioned himself in opisthotonos. Between these episodes, the neurological exam showed some perturbations (horizontal nystagmus and Bell's phenomenon, hypertony of the extensor muscles, and mild hypotony of the axial flexor muscles) with slow improvement over the following hours. The remaining clinical exam, the laboratory work (complete blood count, renal, hepatic, and muscular tests, capillary blood gas, plasmatic amino acids, and urinary organic acids), and the electroencephalogram findings were all normal. In the course of a detailed interview, the parents reported having given 3 bottles to their child, each one containing 200 mL of an infusion with 4 to 5 fruits of star anise, in the hours preceding the symptoms to relieve colic pains. The last seizure-like event took place approximately 8h after the last ingestion. We could prove the ingestion of anisatin, the toxic substance found in Japanese star anise, and the contamination of Chinese star anise by the Japanese species. Indeed, the anisatin analysis by liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) in a urine sample taken 22 h after the last infusion ingestion showed trace amounts of the substance. In another urine sample taken 33 h after ingestion, no anisatin could be detected. Furthermore, the analysis of the fruit sample gave an anisatin concentration of 7800 µg/kg while the maximum tolerance value in Switzerland is 1000 µg/kg. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of ALTE in infants should always include the possibility of intoxication. Star anise is generally considered a harmless medicine. Nevertheless, it can sometimes cause a severe intoxication resulting in various neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms. To prevent such events, not only the parents, but also the care personnel and pharmacists must be informed about the possible adverse effects caused either by the overdose of Chinese star anise or by the eventual contamination of herbal teas with Japanese star anise. A better control of the substances by the health authorities is also necessary.

Neuropsychological problems after paediatric stroke: two year follow-up of Swiss children.

AIM: The aim of this study was to obtain information about neurological and cognitive outcome for a population-based group of children after paediatric ischaemic stroke. METHODS: Data from the Swiss neuropaediatric stroke registry (SNPSR), from 1.1.2000 to 1.7.2002, including children (AIS 1) and neonates (AIS 2). At 18-24 months after a stroke, a follow-up examination was performed including a history, neurological and neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: 33/48 children (22 AIS 1, 11 AIS 2) participated in the study. Neurological outcome was good in 16/33. After childhood stroke mean IQ levels were normal (94), but 6 children had IQ < 85 (50-82) and neuropsychological problems were present in 75%. Performance IQ (93) was reduced compared to verbal IQ (101, p = 0.121) due to problems in the domain of processing speed (89.5); auditory short-term memory was especially affected. Effects on school career were common. Outcome was worse in children after right-sided infarction. Children suffering from stroke in mid-childhood had the best prognosis. There was no clear relationship between outcome and localisation of the lesion. After neonatal stroke 7/11 children showed normal development and epilepsy indicated a worse prognosis in the remaining 4. CONCLUSION: After paediatric stroke neuropsychological problems are present in about 75% of children. Younger age at stroke as well as an emergence of epilepsy were predictors for worse prognosis.

[Ocular phenotype in a child with chondrodysplasia punctata, rhizomelic form]. / Phénotype oculaire chez un enfant atteint d'une chondrodysplasia punctata, forme rhizomélique.

Chondrodysplasia calcificans punctata (CDP) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by calcific stippling of the hyaline cartilage. CDP is classified into 4 types: the autosomal dominant Conradi-Hünermann type, the autosomal recessive rhizomelic type, the X-linked dominant form and the X-linked recessive form. We present a child affected with a rhizomelic CDP born from consanguinous parents. The ocular phenotype consisted of microphakia associated with a progressive bilateral "cataracta cortico-zonularis suturata". At 11 years of age, a phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation was performed in the left eye.

The spectrum of acquired cognitive disturbances in children with partial epilepsy and continuous spike-waves during sleep. A 4-year follow-up case study with prolonged reversible learning arrest and dysfluency.

We report a longitudinal study (7-11 years) of a previously normal boy (MR) who presented from the age of 5 years with rare partial motor seizures and atypical 'absences'. The history revealed a stagnation in development and speech difficulties a few months before onset of his epilepsy. The first waking electroencephalogram (EEG) showed rare generalized discharges during hyperventilation. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an arachnoid cyst in the frontotemporal region. Although his epilepsy never became severe, he experienced important learning difficulties. Subsequent EEGs became increasingly active with left focal epileptic activity and continuous spike-waves during sleep (CSWS) present from the first sleep EEG. The first neuropsychological evaluation (7 years) showed a speech dysfluency, word finding and naming problems, inattention and low intelligence quotient. Carbamazepine was changed to clobazam and later ethosuximide was added with a rapid improvement (within 1 month) in linguistic and cognitive performances as well as in behaviour. Furthermore, the patient showed considerable progress in acquisition over the next months whereas learning to read had previously been very difficult. The epileptic activity gradually disappeared and he was able to follow regular school at an age-appropriate level. This case adds a new facet to the already recognized more obvious acquired neuropsychological disturbances known to occur in some partial childhood epilepsy syndromes with CSWS (aphasia, dementia). It manifested as prolonged insidious stagnation in learning and subtle language disability. This study documents rapid specific language improvement with change in anti-epileptic drugs and a restored immediate and long-term learning capacity, suggesting a direct but 'hidden' role of epilepsy.

Speech and oromotor deficits of epileptic origin in benign partial epilepsy of childhood with rolandic spikes (BPERS). Relationship to the acquired aphasia-epilepsy syndrome.

The authors report three children who suffered temporary oromotor or speech disturbances as focal epileptic manifestations within the frame of benign partial epilepsy of childhood with rolandic spikes and review similar cases described in the literature. The deficit can occur as an initial symptom of the disorder without visible epileptic seizures and interferes in a variable way with simple voluntary oromotor functions or complex movements including speech production, depending on the exact location and spread of the discharging epileptic focus around the perisylvian region. The most severe deficit produces the anterior operculum syndrome. More subtle non-linguistic deficits such as intermittent drooling, oromotor apraxia or dysfluency, as well as linguistic ones involving phonologic production, can occur. The rapidity of onset, progression and recovery of the deficit is very variable as well as its duration and presumably reflects the degree of epileptic activity. In some cases, rapid improvement with antiepileptic medication occurs and coincidence between the paroxysmal EEG activity (which is usually bilateral) and the functional deficit is seen. The clinical and EEG profile of the seizures disorder and the dynamic of the deficit in these cases bear a strong resemblance to what is seen in the acquired epilepsy-aphasia syndrome (Landau and Kleffner). The variations in clinical symptoms appear more related to the main site, local extension and bilaterality of the epileptic foci rather than a basic difference in physiopathology.

[Screening for heterozygotes in a large family suffering from Steinert's disease with varying clinical manifestations (author's transl)]. / Depistage des heterozygotes dans une grande famille atteinte de maladie de Steinert aux manifestations cliniques variees.

Starting with 4 probands, our study for the early detection of heterozygotes enabled us to investigate a family suffering from myotonic dystrophy, through 8 generations. Out of 274 family members, 209 are still living, 101 of whom were examined by us personally. We discovered, in all, 12 patients with Steinert's disease (one of which was a childhood case), 14 with a "forme fruste" (two of which were infantile cases) and 2 patients with only a myotonic cataract. The clinical picture varied a great deal amongst the patients, but showed in general a rather benign evolution. With respect to diagnostic methods, most of the 24 secondary cases were detected through clinical examination preceded by a good case history (6 out of the 8 classical forms, and all the 14 "formes frustes"). Slit lamp examination was indispensable for the recognition of the first changes in the lenses of two young adults and, likewise, for the detection of two isolated myotonic cataracts. The electromyography showed characteristic anomalies in 3 patients; in addition, non-specific alterations existed in 3 other patients who showed only slight signs of the disease. Neither the gammaglobulins nor the ABH secretion factors were of any diagnostic aid in this family. Our investigation is relevant in the context of the prevention of hereditary conditions, in particular Steinert's disease. Indeed, owing to the early recognition of the heterozygotes, an adequate genetic prognosis can be given in due time to the family members at risk.

[Do all cases of trisomy 18 with long survival (beyond 10 years) show mosaicism in fibroblasts? (author's transl)]. / Les trisomies 18 à survie prolongée (au-delà de 10 ans) sont-elles toutes des mosaiques?

Description of a young girl aged 16 1/2 years who presents the typical features of trisomy 18 : small height, microdolichocephaly, anti-mongoloid palpebral fissures, micrognathia, microstomia, arched palate, malformed ears, atrophy of thenars and hypothenars, clinodactyly of fifth fingers and abortive cutaneous syndactyly between IV and V. At the lower limbs, there is a shortening of the right leg, an atrophy of the calves, as well as genua valga and bilateral pes excavatus with dorsiflexion of the toes. The gait is rigid with enlarged basis of sustentation. The results of the cardiac examination point to a minor ventricular septal defect. The development of secondary sexual characters (breasts and body hair) corresponds to the puberal age; the large pudendal lips are hypoplastic. The X-rays show a double left kidney. There is a very severe oligophrenia (I.Q. = 20). Cytogenetic examinations showed a typical trisomy 18 in 100% of observed lymphocytes, while the analysis of cutaneous fibroblasts revealed a mosaicism with 87% of trisomic cells. Out of 11 cases of trisomy 18 with long survival from the literature only 3 cases were of mosaic type. The authors assume that this small number of mosaic cases in trisomy is probably due to the fact that no examination of fibroblasts has been carried out in the seven other cases.