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Benign convulsion with mild gastroenteritis and benign familial infantile seizure
Yasunari Sakai1, Ryutaro Kira, Hiroyuki Torisu
1Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. yasunari@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Insights
Japanese siblings experienced seizures during mild gastroenteritis, suggesting a genetic link. This underlying genetic factor may predispose individuals to both infantile seizures and gastroenteritis-associated convulsions.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Familial infantile seizures are a recognized epilepsy syndrome.
- Gastroenteritis can sometimes trigger seizures in children.
Observation:
- Japanese siblings presented with concurrent convulsions and mild gastroenteritis.
- The affected siblings, father, and paternal grandfather had a history of afebrile seizures in infancy.
Findings:
- A potential underlying genetic factor is implicated in benign familial infantile seizures.
- This genetic factor may also increase susceptibility to convulsions during mild gastroenteritis.
Implications:
- Understanding the genetic basis of epilepsy syndromes is crucial.
- Further research may elucidate the specific genes involved in familial infantile seizures and febrile/afebrile convulsions.
Abstract:
The authors present Japanese siblings of a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, who concurrently experienced convulsions with mild gastroenteritis. These siblings, their father and paternal grandfather had afebrile seizures that intermittently occurred without symptoms of gastroenteritis and terminated within a few days at their infancy. An underlying genetic factor might not only cause benign familial infantile seizures but it might also confer the susceptibility to the convulsions with mild gastroenteritis in these siblings.
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