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Clinical profile and response to oral prednisolone in infantile spasm

Nuzhat Noureen1, Muhammad Tariq Rana

  • 1Department of Neurology, Children Hospital Complex, Multan. drnuzhatrana321@gmail.com

Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
|April 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Infantile spasms are more common in males and often present as flexor spasms. Oral prednisolone showed a favorable response in over half of the infantile spasms cases studied.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infantile spasms (IS) represent a severe epilepsy syndrome in infants.
  • Understanding the clinical profile and treatment response is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical characteristics of infantile spasms.
  • To assess the efficacy of oral prednisolone as a treatment for infantile spasms.

Main Methods:

  • A case series design was employed, studying 50 infants diagnosed with infantile spasms.
  • Data collected included demographics, seizure characteristics, etiology, neuroimaging, EEG findings, and response to oral prednisolone.
  • Statistical analysis utilized descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test.

Main Results:

  • The male to female ratio was 2.1:1, with a mean age of onset at 5.35 months.
  • Flexor spasms were the most common type (64%), and 96% of cases were symptomatic, with intrapartum asphyxia being a frequent cause.
  • A favorable response to oral prednisolone was observed in 54% of patients, with male gender being the only non-significant factor associated with treatment response.

Conclusions:

  • Infantile spasms predominantly affect males and commonly manifest as flexor spasms.
  • Symptomatic cases, often linked to intrapartum asphyxia, constitute the majority of infantile spasms.
  • Oral prednisolone demonstrates a favorable response rate exceeding 50% in infantile spasms.
Abstract

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