Landau-Kleffner syndrome without seizures: would speech delay justify the treatment with antiepileptic drugs?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome is a rare epileptic syndrome characterized by the association of receptive aphasia, epileptic seizures, behavioral disorders and electroencephalographic changes with discharges at the temporal lobe unilaterally or bilaterally. Seizures are not essential for diagnosis. CASE REPORT: J. V. S. S., 3 y/o male, with delay in acquirement of speech, psychomotor agitation and sleep disorder (sleeplessness). Attempt to communicate was established by gestures and pointing at things. His behavior characterized by agitation, restlessness, aggressiveness and difficulty to establish social contact with other children by the same age. MRI was normal and the EEG showed sharp-wave discharges in the left medial and posterior temporal regions. After three months of treatment with carbamazepine the child returned to an evaluation, presenting substantial improvement at speech, speaking simple words and with meaningful improvement on both behavioral and sleep patterns, as well as, social interaction. DISCUSSION: Expression and reception speech disorders are relatively common in children with different epileptic syndromes, particularly in Landau-Kleffner syndrome. Epileptiform discharges can occur in people without epilepsy and use to be called subclinical discharges. What would be the impact of subclinical discharges on this population remains uncertain at the present time. We reviewed these interactions in the light of a representative case, showing favorable outcome following introduction of an antiepileptic drug.