CLINICAL, PARACLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF EPILEPSY SYNDROMES IN INFANTS AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 1
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Early-onset epilepsy in infancy represents a group of severe neurological disorders often associated with high risks of drug resistance, developmental delay, and early mortality.
Objective: To describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics and classify epilepsy syndromes in infants with early-onset epilepsy.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 100 pediatric patients (onset < 2 years old) at Children’s Hospital No. 1 from June to September 2022. Clinical features, EEG, brain MRI, and ILAE syndrome classifications were analyzed.
Results: EEG was performed in 97% of patients (51.55% abnormal). Brain MRI (93% of cases) revealed diverse structural abnormalities. According to ILAE criteria, developmental and epileptic encephalopathies accounted for the highest proportion (19%), followed by syndromes with other specific etiologies (10%) and infantile spasms (7%). Epilepsy syndromes remained unclassified in 44% of cases.
Conclusions: Early-onset epilepsy in infancy exhibits heterogeneous features. The ILAE framework facilitates a systematic diagnostic approach and supports clinical management in pediatric patients.
Keywords
Epilepsy, infancy, ILAE 2022, focal to bilateral tonic-clonic, developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, HIE
Article Details
References
2. Zuberi SM, Wirrell E, Yozawitz E, et al. ILAE classification and definition of epilepsy syndromes with onset in neonates and infants. Epilepsia. 2022;63(6):1349-1397. doi: 10.1111/epi.17239
3. Owolabi LF, Shehu NY, Dawud AM. Electroencephalography findings in childhood epilepsy in a Saudi population. J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2021;16(1):86-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.10.016
4. Berg AT, Wusthoff CJ, Shellhaas RA, et al. Immediate outcomes in early life epilepsy: A contemporary account. Epilepsy Behav. 2019;97:44-50. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.05.011
5. Nyman J, Toivonen S, Metsäranta M, et al. Poor aEEG background recovery after perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy predicts postneonatal epilepsy. Clin Neurophysiol. 2022;143:116-123. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2022.09.005
6. Sorg AL, Von Kries R, Staus A, et al. Cognitive disorders in childhood epilepsy: a comparative longitudinal study. J Neurol. 2022;269(7):3789-3799. doi: 10.1007/s00415-022-11008-y
7. Symonds JD, Zuberi SM, Stewart K, et al. Early childhood epilepsies: epidemiology, classification, aetiology, and socio-economic determinants. Brain. 2021;144(9):2879-2891. doi: 10.1093/brain/awab162
8. Kentab AY, Al-Mutari GA, Kentab AY, et al. Pattern and etiology of early childhood epilepsy: An Experience at a University Center. Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2022;27(4):244-250. doi: 10.17712/nsj.2022.4.20220001