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Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Infantile Spasms
1Section of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Brain MRI is crucial for evaluating infantile spasms, an infant epilepsy. Abnormal MRI findings correlate with active epilepsy and global developmental delay in children, highlighting its diagnostic importance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Epileptology
Background:
- Infantile spasms are an age-specific epileptic disorder with diverse etiologies.
- Structural abnormalities are a significant cause of infantile spasms.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze clinical features and brain MRI findings in children with infantile spasms.
- To establish correlations between MRI results and clinical outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 56 children diagnosed with infantile spasms (2016-2020).
- All participants underwent brain MRI.
- Clinical data including seizure onset, epilepsy status, and developmental delay were reviewed.
Main Results:
- 73% of patients had active epilepsy; 51% had global developmental delay.
- 84% of MRIs revealed structural abnormalities; 16% were normal.
- Abnormal MRIs were strongly associated with active epilepsy (64%) and developmental delay (82%).
Conclusions:
- Brain MRI is integral to the clinical evaluation of infantile spasms.
- Abnormal brain MRI findings are linked to persistent active epilepsy and global developmental delay.
Background:
Infantile spasms are an age-specific epileptic disorder. They occur in infancy and early childhood. They can be caused by multiple etiologies. Structural abnormalities represent an important cause of infantile spasms. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the integral modalities in the evaluation of this condition.
Purpose:
The aim of this study is to review and analyze the clinical characteristics and brain MRI findings in a cohort of children diagnosed with infantile spasms.
Material And Methods:
A cohort of fifty-six children diagnosed with infantile spasms in infancy and early childhood was included. All of them underwent brain MRI for evaluation. The study was conducted in the period from January 2016 to January 2020.
Results:
Females comprised 57% of the cohort. The mean age for seizure onset was 5.9 months (SD 2.7). Forty-one patients (73%) had active epilepsy, and 51% were diagnosed with global developmental delay. Consanguinity was present in 59% of the cohort. Most of the follow-up MRIs showed structural abnormalities (84%). Hypoxia was reported in 17% of MRIs. Malformations of cortical development were seen in five patients. Brain MRI findings were normal in 16% of patients, and delayed myelination was seen in nineteen patients. Most of the children with active epilepsy (64%) and developmental delay (82%) had an abnormal brain MRI. It was noticed that abnormal second brain MRIs were more likely to be associated with active epilepsy and developmental delay (p = 0.05).
Conclusions:
Brain MRI is an integral part of infantile spasms' clinical evaluation. Infantile spasms and abnormal brain MRI can be associated with active epilepsy and global developmental delay.
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