Complex Febrile Convulsions Research Articles

SCN1A-Characterization of the Gene's Variants in the Polish Cohort of Patients with Dravet Syndrome: One Center Experience.

The aim of this study was to characterize the genotype and phenotype heterogeneity of patients with SCN1A gene mutations in the Polish population, fulfilling the criteria for the diagnosis of Dravet syndrome (DRVT). Particularly important was the analysis of the clinical course, the type of epileptic seizures and the co-occurrence of additional features such as intellectual disability, autism or neurological symptoms such as ataxia or gait disturbances. Based on their results and the available literature, the authors discuss potential predictors for DRVT. Identifying these early symptoms has important clinical significance, affecting the course and disease prognosis. 50 patients of the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw clinically diagnosed with DRVT and carriers of SCN1A pathogenic variants were included. Clinical data were retrospectively collected from caregivers and available medical records. Patients in the study group did not differ significantly in parameters such as type of first seizure and typical epileptic seizures from those described in other studies. The age of onset of the first epileptic seizure was 2-9 months. The co-occurrence of intellectual disability was confirmed in 71% of patients and autism in 18%. The study did not show a correlation between genotype and phenotype, considering the severity of the disease course, clinical symptoms, response to treatment, the presence of intellectual disability, autism symptoms or ataxia. From the clinical course, a significant problem was the differentiation between complex febrile convulsions and symptoms of DRVT. The authors suggest that parameters such as the age of the first seizure, less than one year of age, the onset of a seizure up to 72 h after vaccination and the presence of more than two features of complex febrile seizures are more typical of DRVT, which should translate into adequate diagnostic and clinical management. The substantial decrease in the age of genetic verification of the diagnosis, as well as the decline in the use of sodium channel inhibitors, underscores the growing attention of pediatric neurologists in Poland to the diagnosis of DRVT.

Etiology and Outcome of Convulsive Status Epileptics in Children

Objective of study: To review the etiology, clinical profile, and outcome of status epileptics (SE) in pediatric age group. Methods: Data from 50 cases was obtained prospectively which admitted to intensive care unit Benghazi children hospital from between May, 2019 and May, 2020 Patients aged between 30 days and 15 years with the symptoms of SE were selected for this study exclusion criteria convulsion at neonatal age and patient with non-convulsive status epileptics. Results: The data show that Male sex of the cases was predominant as they represented 58% complemented by 42% females: Although male gender was greater than female among the cases, the deaths were 50% male and 50% female, so mortality was equal etiology of the status epileptics it was observed that, in 62% of the sample due to acute symptomatic condition, in 26% due to remote symptomatic illness, unclassified reason was reported in 6%, complex febrile convulsion in 4% and epilepsy related in 2%. Type of seizure was generalized tonic-clonic convulsion in 94% and focal in 6%. Of cases Number of drug used for the cases was one drug in 2%, two drugs in 20%, three drugs in 60% and four drugs in 18%. More than have of the cases (52%) were classified as refractory to anticonvulsant therapy, 8% were super-refractory. 40% of the sample responded to two anticonvulsant medications Outcome of death happened in 20% of the cases (10 cases) and transfer to the ward was done for 80%. Conclusion: Patients with younger age and male sex are slightly more vulnerable to develop SE. Longer duration of SE and acute symptomatic an etiology are independent predictors for poor outcome status epileptics.

Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid Lactate Dehydrogenase in Children with Febrile Convulsions.

Tissue damage caused by febrile convulsion has not still been proved or refuted completely. Given the fact that lactate dehydrogenase as an intracellular enzyme can be increased due to tissue damage, we decided to evaluate serum and cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase in children with febrile convulsion. This is a cross-sectional study on 166 children aged 6-24 month, in three groups of simple febrile convulsion (n=56), complex febrile convulsion (n=27) with 3 different subgroups (recurrence in 24 hours, duration >15 minutes, and with focal components), and control (n=83). Patients' serum and cerebrospinal fluid specimens were collected after meeting the inclusion criteria. Demographic information was documented and patients' serum and cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase and glucose were measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. The mean serum lactate dehydrogenase in simple febrile convulsion, complex febrile convulsion, and controls were 501.57± 143.70, 553.07±160.22, and 505.87±98.73 U/L, respectively. The mean cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase in simple, complex febrile convulsion, and control groups were 22.58±11.92, 29.48±18.18, and 21.56±17.32 U/L, respectively. Only cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase difference between complex febrile convulsion and control group (p=0.039) (In the duration >15 minutes subgroup and controls, p=0.028) was statistically significant. There was a significant difference between sex and serum lactate dehydrogenase in thesame subgroup of complex group (p=0.012). Complex febrile convulsion may lead to increase of lactate dehydrogenase in cns of CNS cellular damage.

Comparison of serum selenium levels between children with simple and complex febrile convulsions

Comparison of serum selenium levels between children with simple and complex febrile convulsions

Influenza-associated Neurologic Complications in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in Republic of Korea.

The rates of influenza-associated neurologic complications are variable among studies, and a difference has been observed between the Western and Asian countries. The study aims to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of influenza-associated neurologic complications. We performed a retrospective review of hospitalized cases of influenza infection from October 2010 to April 2017 from 3 referral hospitals. A total of 1988 influenza cases were identified. Influenza-associated neurologic complications were 161 cases (8.1%); influenza virus A was detected in 113 (70.2%) cases, B in 47 (29.2%) cases and both A and B in 1 case (0.6%). Twenty-four patients (15%) had underlying neurologic diseases. The most common diagnosis was a simple febrile convulsion (44%), followed by complex febrile convulsion (29%), fever-provoked seizure under pre-existing neurologic disease or afebrile seizure (14%), encephalopathy/encephalitis (8%) and meningitis (5%). Most of the patients fully recovered (96%). Three patients (1.9%) died of myocarditis (n = 1), encephalopathy (n = 1), and simultaneous encephalitis and myocarditis (n = 1). Pre-existing neurologic disease, age groups of 6 months to 6 years and 6-12 years were a risk factor of influenza-associated neurologic complications with an adjusted odds ratio of 5.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.23-9.06, P < 0.001), 12.99 (95% CI 1.77-95.19, P = 0.01) and 8.54 (95% CI 1.14-64.79, P = 0.04), respectively. There was no association between neuropsychiatric adverse events and oseltamivir prescription (P = 0.17). Influenza-associated neurologic complications are not uncommon, and most patients fully recovered. The frequency of influenza-associated neurologic complications in Korean children was not significantly different from that of children in Western countries.

Forniceal and hippocampal atrophy in temporal lobe epilepsy patients with a history of complex febrile convulsion

Objectives: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common seizure type in adults. Recent studies showed that 28–58% of TLE patients had a previous history of complex febrile convulsions (CFC). We compared the hippocampal volumes and volumes of amygdaloid body and widths of fornix and mammillary bodies on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of TLE patients with and without history of CFC. Methods: MRI scans of 42 subjects retrospectively examined. The amount of atrophy in hippocampus, amygdaloid body, fornix and mammillary bodies were determined by two formulas depending on the mean values of the controls. Results: We found no difference between TLE patients with a history of CFC and TLE patients without such a history in terms of all the quantitative measurements results (p&gt;0.05) except the absolute right-left hippocampus volume and fornix % difference rate (p&lt;0.01, p&lt;0.05 respectively). Conclusion: Forniceal atrophy was more prominent in the TLE group of patients with previous CFC history when compared to those patients without a CFC history. The CFCs should not be underestimated in the childhood, as they are associated with more atrophy in the particular brain structures in patients with TLE.

Improving early diagnosis of rare diseases using Natural Language Processing in unstructured medical records: an illustration from Dravet syndrome

BackgroundThe growing use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is promoting the application of data mining in health-care. A promising use of big data in this field is to develop models to support early diagnosis and to establish natural history. Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy that commonly initiates in the first year of life with febrile seizures (FS). Age at diagnosis is often delayed after 2 years, as it is difficult to differentiate DS at onset from FS. We aimed to explore if some clinical terms (concepts) are significantly more used in the electronic narrative medical reports of individuals with DS before the age of 2 years compared to those of individuals with FS. These concepts would allow an earlier detection of patients with DS resulting in an earlier orientation toward expert centers that can provide early diagnosis and care.MethodsData were collected from the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital using a document-based data warehouse, Dr Warehouse, which employs Natural Language Processing, a computer technology consisting in processing written information. Using Unified Medical Language System Meta-thesaurus, phenotype concepts can be recognized in medical reports. We selected individuals with DS (DS Cohort) and individuals with FS (FS Cohort) with confirmed diagnosis after the age of 4 years. A phenome-wide analysis was performed evaluating the statistical associations between the phenotypes of DS and FS, based on concepts found in the reports produced before 2 years and using a series of logistic regressions.ResultsWe found significative higher representation of concepts related to seizures’ phenotypes distinguishing DS from FS in the first phases, namely the major recurrence of complex febrile convulsions (long-lasting and/or with focal signs) and other seizure-types. Some typical early onset non-seizure concepts also emerged, in relation to neurodevelopment and gait disorders.ConclusionsNarrative medical reports of individuals younger than 2 years with FS contain specific concepts linked to DS diagnosis, which can be automatically detected by software exploiting NLP. This approach could represent an innovative and sustainable methodology to decrease time of diagnosis of DS and could be transposed to other rare diseases.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of children who were hospitalized and followed due to seizures

Aim: Seizure is the most common neurological disorder of childhood. The causes of seizures in childhood, especially febrile convulsions (FC), is still not fully elucidated. In addition, diagnosis, follow-up and treatment are still controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical/demographic features, laboratory results, electroencephalography and neuroimaging findings of children who were hospitalized and followed due to seizures. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 737 patients who were hospitalized and followed up due to seizures in the pediatric neurology department. Clinical features and laboratory results of the patients were evaluated. Results: Among all, 53.1% of the patients who had febrile convulsions were males, 46.9% were females, and the mean age was 20.68 (5) months. The most important risk factors in febrile convulsion were positive family history (38.4%) and iron deficiency (42.9%). The most common source of infection was viral upper respiratory tract infections. While cerebrospinal fluid evaluations were normal in patients with ordinary febrile convulsions, that of 30 patients with complex febrile convulsions were coherent with meningitis. 437 patients were hospitalized with the diagnosis of epilepsy, among which 54.3% were males, and 45.7% were females. The mean age was 65.8 (54.8) months. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures were most common, while idiopathic epilepsy was the most frequently observed type. The most common risk factors in epilepsy patients were positive family history (26.2%), febrile convulsion (26.8%), and cerebral palsy (8.2%). Conclusion: In this study, febrile convulsion and idiopathic epilepsy were the most determined causes of pediatric convulsion. Kinship marriage and positive family history are both the most important risk factors in febrile convulsions and epilepsy. Children with focal FC should be followed closely due to increased risk of epilepsy.

A study of febrile seizures in children in relation to iron deficiency anemia

Background: Febrile seizures are the most common cause of convulsions in children between 6 months to 5 years, occurring in 2-5% of children. Iron deficiency is postulated as a risk factor for febrile seizures in children and it is an easily correctable condition. The objective of the study was to study the clinical profile and risk factors of febrile convulsions and to establish an association between febrile seizure and iron deficiency anemia.Methods: The study was carried out in Department of Pediatrics, Dhiraj General Hospital, Piparia, a tertiary care teaching hospital. 34 cases and 34 controls were included in the study. Controls were children of same age group presenting with short febrile illness but without any seizures. Febrile seizures were defined according to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) criteria. Iron deficiency was diagnosed by hematologic investigations of haemoglobin value &lt; 11 g/dl, MCV &lt;70 fL and RDW &gt; 15.6%.Results: Iron deficiency anemia was present in 23.52% (8/34) of cases as compared to 17.64% (6/34) in the control group. Odds ratio was 1.436 (95% CI 0.439-4.669, p value 0.549), which suggest there is no significant association of iron deficiency anemia with febrile convulsions. Subgroup analysis for association of iron deficiency anemia with simple febrile convulsion cases showed Odds ratio of 1.11 (95% CI 0.298-4.138), which suggests there is poor association of iron deficiency anemia with simple febrile convulsions. Subgroup analysis for association of iron deficiency anemia with complex febrile convulsion cases showed Odds ratio of 2.809 (95% CI 0.521-15.041), which suggests there is poor association of iron deficiency anemia with complex febrile convulsions. Wide confidence interval indicates less sample size. Study with large sample size is required for reliable interpretation.Conclusions:The study reveals iron deficiency anemia is not a significant risk factor in children presenting with febrile seizures. Further study with large sample size is required.

Value of EEG in management of complex febrile convulsion

Value of EEG in management of complex febrile convulsion

Recognition and management of febrile convulsion in children

Febrile convulsion is characterised by convulsion associated with fever in an infant or child aged between six months and six years. The febrile illness causing the convulsion should not be secondary to an intracranial infection (meningitis or encephalitis) or acute electrolyte imbalance. Most cases of febrile convulsion are short lived and self-terminating. However, a few cases of prolonged febrile convulsion may need anticonvulsant medication to stop the seizure. Management is mainly symptomatic, although anticonvulsants may have a role in a small number of children with complex or recurrent febrile convulsion. Referral to paediatric neurologists may be necessary in cases of complex or recurrent febrile convulsion, or in those where a pre-existing neurological disorder exists. One third of children will develop a further febrile convulsion during subsequent febrile illness. Nurses have a vital role in managing children with febrile convulsion, educating parents about the condition and dispelling myths. This article outlines the presentation, management, investigations and prognosis for febrile convulsion, indicating how nurses working in different clinical areas can help to manage this common childhood condition.

P01.16 Comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions: a clinical study

P01.16 Comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions: a clinical study

The levels of cerebrospinal fluid and serum IL-2、IL-6 and NSE in children with simple and complex febrile convulsion

目的 探讨单纯型和复杂型热性惊厥(FC)患儿脑脊液和血清IL-2、6和神经元特异性烯醇酶(NSE)水平改变的意义.方法 采用ELISA法对34例单纯型FC、22例复杂型FC、28例发热无惊厥患儿的血清、脑脊液中IL-2、IL-6和NSE进行测定.结果 复杂型FC组IL-2、IL-6、NSE水平较对照组明显增高,差异有显著性(P＜0.01).单纯型与复杂型FC组血清IL-2、IL-6水平比较差异无显著性(P＞0.05).单纯型FC组血清NSE水平与对照组比较差异无显著性(P＞0.05).复杂型和单纯型FC组脑脊液IL-2、IL-6水平较对照组明显增高,差异有显著性(P＜0.01),复杂型FC组较单纯型FC组也明显升高(P＜0.01).复杂型FC组脑脊液NSE水平最高,与其余两组比较差异有显著性(P＜0.01).单纯型FC组脑脊液中NSE水平与对照组差异无显著性(P＞0.05).结论 免疫功能异常参与了FC发病、复发的病理生理过程。

Comorbidities in ten children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD)

Aims: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD is one of the most common neuro-developmental disorders (cognitive and behavioural) in childhood and adolescence, and it is characterised by symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness and detention disturbance. A diagnosis is made on the basis of the appropriate diagnostic criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical manual - DSM-IV) and the International Classification of Disorders – ICD-10. The aim of this study was to present the accompanying difficulties (comorbidities) in children with ADHD. Methods: Ten children were included in the study aged from 5 to 16 years. A detailed pre-, peri- and post-natal history was recorded. In order to confirm or exclude disorders related to ADHD a neuropaediatric examination was undertaken, a psychiatric and psychological evaluation was performed and laboratory tests and EEG recordings were undertaken (including sleep EEG). In most children neuroradiological diagnostics were also performed such as CT (computerized tomography) of the brain and MR (nuclear magnetic resonance) of the brain. Results: Eight children had normal EEG findings. Apart from certain EEG abnormalities characteristic for the appropriate types of epilepsy, the patients mostly recorded slow dysrhythmic activity of high amplitude on the EEG recording. Eight children had pathological results of neuroradiological brain examinations: focal cortical dysplasia, multiple cavernous hemangiomas, post-traumatic glial scars, periventricular leukomalacia, intracranial haemorrhage and a cyst on the epiphyseal gland. In the whole group of patients five of them had had epilepsy, and three complex (atypical) febrile convulsions. Eight children had accompanying difficulties such as delays in speech development, mild hemiparesis, sight disturbances, cognitive deficit and nocturnal enuresis. Conclusion: The disorders which are most frequently linked with ADHD are sleep and behavioural disorders, tics, depression, anxiety, socialization difficulties, problems with sight and hearing, epilepsy, neurometabolic diseases and brain tumours. An analysis of our results shows that ADHD very rarely appears as an isolated disorder without comorbidities. Epilepsy is the most frequent disorder and it occurs in ten patients in our group. The experience of a multidiscipline team shows that the best results in treatment of AHDH are attained by using a combination of drugs and various psychosocial and psycho-educational methods.

Complex febrile convulsions: A clinical study

Purpose : Febrile convulsions are classified into simple or complex types, the latter being characterized by increased risk of recurrence and progression to epilepsy. This study aimed to delineate the clinical characteristics of complex febrile convulsions. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2006, 550 children were diagnosed with febrile convulsions at the Department of Pediatrics, Ilsan Paik Hospital. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions, and clinical findings of complex febrile convulsions were clarified. Results : Our subjects comprised a male-to-female ratio of 1.64:1; the age range was from 8 months to 8 years. Simple febrile convulsions comprised 432 cases, i.e., 4 times as many as complex febrile convulsions (118 cases). The causes of febrile illness included acute pharyngotonsillitis (357 cases, 64.9%), pneumonia (55 cases, 10.0%), acute gastroenteritis (37 cases, 6.7%), and otitis media (20 cases, 3.6%). We did not find any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsions, and cause of febrile illness. Regarding subtypes of complex febrile convulsions, repeated convulsions were the most frequent (72.0%), followed by prolonged convulsions (16.9%) and focal convulsions (5.1%). Conclusion : We have reported here the clinical features of complex febrile convulsions. Although the results did not show any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsion, and cause of febrile illness, further studies are essential to delineate complex febrile convulsions.

Risk factor of influenza virus infection to febrile convulsions and recurrent febrile convulsions in children

Purpose : Febrile convulsions are a common pediatric neurological disease, and it is important to prevent such a disease by controlling the risk factors that may recur. A recent report states that influenza virus infections have a high probability of a relationship with febrile convulsions; therefore, it is necessary to identify the clinical properties of febrile convulsions in relation to domestic influenza virus infections. Methods : Between November 2005 and February 2008, children hospitalized because of febrile convulsions and subsequently confirmed to have influenza infections were enrolled as subjects (patient group, n=11). The control subjects were those admitted with influenza virus infections but no febrile convulsions (control group 1, n=46) and those who developed febrile convulsions without influenza virus infection (control group 2, n=53). Results : The patient group showed a higher maximum body temperature (39.30.5), more histories of past febrile convulsions (72.7%), and a shorter total duration of fever (2.91.2 days) than control group 1. When multivariate analysis was performed, the probability of febrile convulsions was found to be as high as 225.9 times in patients who had influenza virus infections with a past history of febrile convulsions (OR=225.9, 95% CI: 1.7-4780.0, P0.7 days) before convulsion than control group 2; these convulsions were mostly a recurrence of febrile convulsions. When multivariate analysis was performed, the cases with a past history of febrile convulsions showed 5.5 times (OR=5.5, 95% CI: 1.2-25.1, P=0.03) the probability of convulsions when infected with the influenza virus, and this probability decreased by 0.3 times over one-day increments of the febrile period until febrile convulsions (95% CI: 0.1-0.9, P=0.02). Maximum body temperature, total duration of fever, family history of febrile convulsions, and complex febrile convulsions did not show a statistical significance. Conclusion : In cases of pediatric influenza virus infection, the past history of febrile convulsions could be identified within the risk factor of recurrent febrile convulsions. Therefore, influenza vaccination of children having a past history of febrile convulsions will be helpful to avoid the recurrence of these convulsions.

Role of Apolipoprotein E in Febrile Convulsion

Apolipoprotein E is consistently associated with the progression of some common human neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., epilepsy. We hypothesized that genetic variations in the apolipoprotein E gene have implications for susceptibility to, and prognoses in, febrile convulsion, which plays an apparent role in the development of epilepsy. We used the polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion to characterize variations of the apolipoprotein E gene. Sixty-nine patients with febrile convulsion (simple/complex) and a corresponding cohort of healthy patients (n = 75) were used. There was no significant difference in genotypic distribution and allelic frequencies of the apolipoprotein E gene between the febrile convulsion and control groups. Comparing subpopulations of the febrile convulsion group (patients with simple and complex febrile convulsion), we noted that no patients with the epsilon3/epsilon4 genotype had complex febrile convulsions. The apolipoprotein E epsilon3/epsilon4 genotype was more frequently seen in the simple febrile than in the complicated febrile convulsion group (9 versus 0 patients, respectively). The data indicate an association with the epsilon3/epsilon4 genotype of the apolipoprotein E gene with a milder phenotype. Although apolipoprotein E4 is not a vulnerability factor regarding febrile convulsions, it seems effective in regard to prognoses.

La pharmacorésistance des épilepsies partielles : épidémiologie, mécanismes, pharmacogénétique, perspectives thérapeutiques

It has been established that 20–30% of epilepsies are not controlled by antiepileptic drugs. Drug resistance is associated with several major problems, including prognosis, cognitive function, behavior, mortality, cost and quality of life. Apart from classic risk factors for drug resistance, such as neurological, psychiatric, imaging, EEG abnormalities, a high frequency of seizures before medical therapy and complex febrile convulsions, the potential role of multidrug transporters as well as their genetic control and the altered sensitivity of neuronal drug receptors has gained growing attention. In the future, pharmaceutical engineering may bypass these factors. To a certain extent, drug resistance may develop progressively in a neurobiological process and the control of this process could limit its development.

Risk of Serious Neurologic Disease After Immunization of Young Children in Britain and Ireland

We sought to investigate the risk of serious neurologic disease after immunization in early childhood. The results of a 3-year prospective study of children (2-35 months old) in Britain and Ireland with encephalitis and/or severe illness with convulsions and fever were linked to each child's vaccine history. Cases were reported via the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit's network. The self-controlled case-series method was used to investigate associations between immunization and acute potential adverse events. The risk periods investigated were 0 to 3 and 0 to 7 days post-diphtheria, tetanus, whole cell pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b or meningococcal C conjugate vaccine and 6 to 11 and 15 to 35 days post-measles, mumps, rubella vaccine. A total of 157 disease episodes from 155 children met the analytical case definition. There were 11 cases of herpes simplex encephalitis and 23 cases of primary human herpesvirus 6 and/or 7 infection. There was no evidence of a raised relative incidence of serious neurologic disease in any of the specified risk periods with the exception of a raised relative incidence of 5.68 in the 6-11 days after measles, mumps, rubella vaccine. Based on this relative incidence, between 3 and 6 of the 6 cases in this period were estimated to be attributable to the vaccine with a best estimate of 5. The 6 cases all had fever with convulsions lasting >30 minutes; in all but 1, there was complete recovery by discharge from hospital. Of the 5 patients who recovered, 1 had a concurrent primary human herpesvirus 6 infection and one a primary human herpesvirus 7. Six to 11 days after measles, mumps, rubella vaccine there is an increased risk of fever and convulsions lasting >30 minutes. All 6 of the episodes temporally related to immunization met the criteria for complex febrile convulsions. The estimated attributable risk of serious neurological disease was similar to that previously found for measles vaccine.

Unprovoked seizures in children with complex febrile convulsion; short-term outcome

Purpose : Febrile convulsions (FC) were considered to be a benign seizure syndrome that is distinct from epilepsy. But it is thought that children with complex features i.e., partial or prolonged seizures or multiple episodes of FC would bear a higher risk of developing unprovoked seizures. The aim of this study is to look into the relative significance of each criteria that define complex febrile convulsions (CFC) as a predictor of subsequent epilepsy. Methods : All children were retrospectively identified for a febrile seizure through pediatric departments of the Konyang University Hospital. Information was collected from medical records and interviews with parents. Patients with abnormal neurological examinations at presentation were excluded. Results : This study was performed from March 2000 to December 2003. Sixty-three out of 314 children (20.0%) with febrile convulsion fulfilled the criteria for CFC and forty-four children of them have been followed for 12 months or more. Ten of these (23.2%) had unprovoked seizures for 14-62 months (median 34.2±11.6 months). The patients with partial FC showed a trend toward a higher risk (57.1%) of developing epilepsy than the patients with multiple or prolonged febrile convulsions (26.7%, 24.1% respectively). Conclusion : We found that the partial feature of febrile convulsion is associated with subsequent epilepsy.