[Myoclonic astatic seizures in a child with Sturge-Weber syndrome]

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a neurocutaneous disease associating facial and pial angioma. Focal epilepsy is a common sign. In a few cases, generalized seizures have been reported.

We report on a four-year-old girl with Sturge-Weber syndrome. The first focal seizures occurred at three years of age. She developed refractory status epilepticus. At discharge from the PICU, she was on a ketogenic diet and received three antiepileptic drugs. No seizures were observed for four months. The patient then developed several types of seizures: myoclonic seizures, focal clonic seizures, and sudden falls. We were unable to determine the etiology of the falls. Typical myoclonic astatic seizures were identified on video-electroencephalographic recordings.

Seizures in Sturge-Weber syndrome are usually focal. Four patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome and myoclonoastatic seizures are reported in the literature. We discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms leading from a focal lesion to generalized myoclonoastatic seizures.