Recurrent afebrile seizures in children with benign convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis

Boman Chen, Min Cheng, Siqi Hong, Shuang Liao, Jiannan Ma, Tingsong Li.  Clinical outcome of recurrent afebrile seizures in children with benign convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis.  Seizure. In press.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2018.05.020

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the clinical outcome and evolution of recurrent afebrile seizures in children initially diagnosed with benign convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis (CwG).

Methods

We reviewed and analyzed the medical records of 37 patients who were diagnosed as CwG at onset, followed by recurrent afebrile seizures and followed up for at least 24 months.

Results

The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 7 years (median, 40.1 months).Three patterns of recurrent afebrile seizures were recorded: afebrile seizures associated with gastrointestinal infection (AS-GI, n = 25), afebrile seizures associated with non-gastrointestinal infection (AS-nGI, n = 9), and unprovoked seizures (US, n = 3). Twenty eight patients (75.7%) had a second episode within 6 months after the first seizures. Five cases (13.5%) suffered three episodes of afebrile seizures. Seizure characteristics of the three patterns were similar, manifesting as clustered seizures in the majority. Focal epileptic activities in interictal EEG were found in 3 cases (9.4%) at onset, 10 cases (28.6%) at the second episode, retrospectively. Five patients were prescribed anti-epileptic drugs with apparently good responses. During at least 2 years’ follow-up, all the cases showed normal psychomotor development. Only one patient was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Conclusions

All the recurrent afebrile seizures initially diagnosed as CwG, irrespective of the kinds and frequency of relapses, showed favorable prognoses. CwG maybe falls within the category of situation-related seizures, rather than epilepsy.

Courtesy of:  https://www.mdlinx.com/journal-summaries/benign-convulsions-mild-gastroenteritis-prognosis-seizure/2018/06/13/7524357?spec=neurology