Symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy following neonatal hypoglycemia

This study reports on the clinical, electrophysiologic, and neuroradiologic aspects of patients with epilepsy secondary to neonatal hypoglycemia. Fifteen patients with epilepsy and/or posterior cerebral lesions, and neonatal hypoglycemia were studied in the epilepsy clinic between February 1990 and March 2003. The mean age was 12 years. The different types of neonatal hypoglycemia were as follows: four patients had transitional-adaptive, seven classic transient, two secondary-associated, and two severe recurrent hypoglycemia. As to epilepsy, we recognized a larger group of 12 patients characterized by focal seizures and posterior abnormalities on the electroencephalogram, the majority of whom had a good outcome, and a second group of two patients presenting electroclinical features of encephalopathy with refractory seizures. All patients except two manifested parieto-occipital lesions on neuroradiologic images. Neurologic examination was normal in one patient. Six patients had microcephaly; eight manifested visual disturbances. Fourteen patients were mentally retarded. One had a pervasive developmental disorder. This study indicates neonatal hypoglycemia may cause posterior cerebral lesions, abnormal findings at neurologic examination, and symptomatic epilepsy, most frequently occipital lobe epilepsy, usually with a good prognosis, and occasionally epileptic encephalopathy with refractory seizures. MRI studies are essential to define the characteristics of cerebral lesions after neonatal hypoglycemia.