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Evolution of epileptic encephalopathy in an infant with non-accidental head injury

Roshan Koul1, Rajesh Poothrikovil, Faisal Al-Azri

  • 1Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. roshankoul@hotmail.com

Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
|July 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Non-accidental head injury, or shaken baby syndrome, can cause severe epileptic encephalopathy in infants. Early diagnosis is crucial as EEG patterns evolve with injury progression.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neuroscience
  • Child Abuse Research

Background:

  • Infantile seizures necessitate thorough etiological investigation.
  • Epileptic encephalopathy can arise from various underlying causes, including trauma.

Observation:

  • A 5-month-old infant presented with tonic seizures, initially responsive to medication.
  • Seizures recurred and became refractory after medication non-adherence.
  • Neurometabolic and imaging studies identified non-accidental head injury (shaken baby syndrome) as the cause.

Findings:

  • Electroencephalogram (EEG) initially normal, evolving to an epileptic encephalopathy pattern.
  • The child exhibited severe developmental regression correlating with seizure progression.
  • Non-accidental head injury was confirmed as the etiology of the refractory epilepsy.

Implications:

  • Highlights the critical importance of considering non-accidental head injury in unexplained infantile epileptic encephalopathy.
  • Demonstrates the diagnostic utility of serial EEG monitoring in evaluating pediatric seizures.
  • Underscores the devastating neurological sequelae of abusive head trauma in infants.

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