West Syndrome – Infantile Spasms: A Rare Paediatric Case Report

Abstract

West syndrome (WS) is a rare, severe form of epilepsy with onset in infancy and early childhood. It involves clustered epileptic spasm episodes, the aberrant interictal electroencephalogram pattern known as hypsarrhythmia, and neuropsychomotor delay. In this view, we present a case of a 6-year-old female child a known case of west syndrome, global developmental delay, hypothyroidism, and post-operative laparoscopic gastrotomy performed under general anaesthesia on March 31/2022, in view of recurrent aspiration and came with the chief complaints of seizure 6-7 episodes per day, decreased urine output, constipation for two days, straining to pass urine, and three episodes of vomiting. The history included that the baby cried immediately after birth, seizure on day 5 of life, and was shifted to the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), admitted there for 5 days because of respiratory distress syndrome and hyperalbuminemia. During their stay in the hospital, the child has been prescribed Lamotrigine 50mg, Levocarnitine 500mg, Levetiracetam 250mg, Clobazam 5mg, Phenobarbital 60mg, Sodium Valproate 100mg, Thyronorm 50mcg. Now the patient is symptomatically better. This case report intends to sensitize physicians in this region toward this rare neurological syndrome.
 Keywords: Hypsarrhythmia, Infantile, Seizure, West syndrome.