Premium
Transient magnetic resonance diffusion abnormalities in West syndrome: the radiological expression of non‐convulsive status epilepticus?
Author(s) -
Desguerre Isabelle,
Marti Ixtasu,
Valayannopoulos Vassili,
BahiBuisson Nadia,
Dulac Olivier,
Plouin Perrine,
DeLonlay Pascale,
HertzPannier Lucie,
Boddaert Nathalie
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2007.02017.x
Subject(s) - hypsarrhythmia , status epilepticus , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , encephalopathy , effective diffusion coefficient , white matter , epilepsy , pediatrics , pathology , radiology , psychiatry
The purpose of this study was to report patients with pharmacoresistant West syndrome of unknown cause whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) showed a transient decrease of diffusion in subcortical structures. Of 20 patients investigated over a 2‐year period, three males and three females constitute the present series. They had daily clusters of infantile spasms with hypsarrhythmia for 4 to 24 months before the first investigation. Four were severely hypotonic. All aetiological studies involving intermediary metabolism, peroxysomes, mitochondria, and neurotransmitters in cerebrospinal fluid were negative. Patients underwent DWI when first examined at the mean age of 13 months, and on follow‐up examination 6 to 18 months later. Diffusion was decreased in the pallidi and posterior brainstem. It was also decreased for five patients in thalami and for three in dentate nuclei. Repeat MRI, performed when spasms were still present but hypsarrhythmia had ceased, did not show the same abnormalities. Because of recruitment bias, this series probably overestimates the true incidence of such DWI abnormalities. The eventuality of toxic lesions, including some inborn error of metabolism or drug toxicity, is considered unlikely although it could not be excluded. The contribution of the epileptic encephalopathy itself appears the most likely course.