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[Benign infantile familial convulsions]
R Caraballo1, R Cersósimo, S Galicchio
1Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital de Pediatría, Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Insights
Benign Infantile Familial Convulsions (BIFC) is a newly identified epilepsy syndrome in infants, characterized by brief partial seizures and a genetic predisposition. This condition shows a positive response to antiepileptic drugs and a benign course.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Benign Infantile Familial Convulsions (BIFC) presents with brief partial seizures in infants under one year.
- Key features include a family history of similar seizures and a consistent age of onset.
Observation:
- A study evaluated 16 patients (10 girls, 6 boys) between 1990-1996.
- Data collected included seizure onset, sex, family history, neurological exams, seizure characteristics, EEG, and neuroimaging.
Findings:
- Patients experienced partial seizures, often in clusters, with onset between 3-8 months.
- Neurological exams and psychomotor development were normal, with normal interictal EEG.
- The condition followed a benign course with a good response to antiepileptic drugs.
Implications:
- BIFC is confirmed as a distinct idiopathic partial epilepsy syndrome with genetic links.
- Autosomal dominant inheritance is probable, suggesting future inclusion in epilepsy classifications.
- Early recognition and management of BIFC are crucial for favorable outcomes.
Introduction:
Benign Infantile Familial Convulsions (HBIFC), are characterized by brief partials seizures, occasionally with secondary generalization, with onset in the first year of life, family history of similar electroclinical seizures and same age of appearance.
Material And Methods:
We presented 16 patients, 10 girls and 6 boys, evaluated in our Service between 1990-1996. We analyzed, age of onset of the seizures, sex, family history of epilepsy, neurologic exam, semiology, distribution, frequency and duration of the seizures, EEG, neuroradiologic studies and evolution.
Results:
The patients had partial seizures, which occurred mainly in clusters, with onset ranged from 3 to 8 months, with normal neurological exam and psychomotor development. The interictal EEG was normal and the course was benign. Treatment response to antiepileptic drugs was good.
Conclusions:
Our presentation confirmed that BIFC are a new partial idiopathic epileptic syndrome, with a genetic predisposition, probably with an autosomal dominant inheritance, which would be recognize in the next international classification of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes.