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Neuroimaging findings in children with infantile spasms
George I Izuora1, Kamel M Ayadi
1Department of Pediatrics, Northern Area Armed Forces Hospital, King Khalid Military City, Hafr Al-Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Neuroimaging in children with infantile spasms (IS) revealed common causes like congenital brain lesions and infections. Findings included dysgenesis and brain atrophy, comparable to global studies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Child Neurology
Background:
- Infantile spasms (IS) are a severe epilepsy syndrome in infants.
- Early diagnosis and identification of underlying causes are crucial for management.
- Neuroimaging plays a vital role in characterizing brain abnormalities in IS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document and analyze the neuroimaging findings in children diagnosed with infantile spasms.
- To identify the common etiologies and patterns observed in IS patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 30 Saudi children under 4 years with IS.
- Inclusion criteria: seizures, developmental delay, specific movement patterns.
- Investigations: routine blood tests, EEG, MRI, and CT scans.
Main Results:
- Congenital brain lesions (40%), infections (20%), and birth trauma (16.7%) were primary causes.
- Neuroimaging showed dysgenesis (30%), brain atrophy (23.7%), and infarctions/hemorrhage (10%).
- Etiology remained unknown in 20% of cases; 26.6% had normal findings.
Conclusions:
- Neuroimaging findings in Saudi children with IS align with international observations.
- The study highlights the importance of neuroimaging in diagnosing IS and identifying its causes.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to document the neuroimaging findings of children with infantile spasms (IS) seen over a 3-year period.
Methods:
All children below the age of 4 years who presented to the Pediatric Department at the Northern Area Armed Forces Hospital, Hafr Al-Batin, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2000 with a history of seizures, atypical movements, psychomotor delay, flexor, extensor spasms or both were included in the study. Relevant birth, developmental and family history as well as information on the pattern of fits were documented. Investigations included complete blood count, serum electrolytes, liver function tests, screening for acquired and congenital metabolic disorders. The electroencephalogram, brain magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography scans were carried out routinely on all the children.
Results:
There were a total of 30 Saudi children, 17 males and 13 females that fulfilled the criteria for evaluation of infantile spasms. The mean age was 10 months. The major causes of IS in this study were congenital brain lesions (40%) infections (20%), and birth trauma/asphyxia (16.7%). The etiology was unknown in 6 (20%) cases. The neuroimaging pattern was dysgenesis (30%), brain atrophy (23.7%), infarctions/hemorrhage (10%) and hydrocephaly (10%). In 8 cases (26.6%) the findings were normal.
Conclusion:
The neuroimaging findings in this study are comparable with observations in other studies carried out under different clinical settings and environment.
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