Response to magnesium sulfate and adrenocorticotropic hormone combination therapy for infantile spasms with failed first-line treatments.

Abstract

Infantile spasm (IS) is a kind of refractory epilepsy. The first-line treatments for IS are adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral corticosteroids, and vigabatrin. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of magnesium sulfate and ACTH (MgSO4+ACTH) combination therapy in patients with IS who failed first-line treatments. In this retrospective study, the clinical data of patients with IS who failed first-line treatments were collected in the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Patients received MgSO4+ACTH combination therapy after first-line treatments failed. The course of treatments was 2weeks. The therapeutic dose of ACTH and MgSO4 was 2.5 U·kg-1·d-1 and 0.25 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively. A total of 229 patients with IS who failed the first-line treatments were collected. At the end of the MgSO4+ACTH combination treatment, the seizure-free rate was 48.5% (111/229), and the resolution of hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalogram (EEG) was 72.1% (165/229). About 21.4% (49/229) of patients showed side effects, including infectious diseases, hypokalemia, and diarrhea. For patients with IS who failed first-line treatments, in terms of the seizure-free rate and resolution of hypsarrhythmia on EEG, MgSO4+ACTH combination therapy can be considered.