Purpose: The aim of our work was to describe the initial electroencephalographic characteristics of Rasmussen’s syndrome (RS). Methods: We performed repeated EEG recordings in an 11- year 5-month-old girl affected by RS, as demonstrated through the progressive evolution of the illness. All EEGs were carried out in polygraphy and videorecordered, both in waking and in sleep. Results: In our opinion, our patient’s EEG picture is absolutely unusual in childhood partial epilepsy form without any In 1958, Rasmussen et al. (1) described a particular clinical picture characterized by association of chronic encephalitis with intractable partial epilepsy. They presented the cases of three patients with progressive intellectual deterioration and hemiparesis associated with epilepsy. Since then, many cases of Rasmussen’s syndrome (RS) have been described with particular reference to its clinical, neuroradiologic, neuropathologic, and therapeutic aspects (2-6). Paradoxically, little attention has been paid to EEG findings, which are just mentioned in articles and rarely illustrated by images (7,8). In particular we were unable to find any initial-stage EEG description. Here we present an RS case with a longitudinal EEG study from the first seizure to the appearance of epilepsia partialis continua (EPC). CASE STUDY Our patient was in good health until age 11 years and 5 months, when she had a 15-min seizure characterized by staring, right arm paresthesias, and speech impairment. There was no evidence of postictal deficit. Neu- Accepted October 30, 1996. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. G. Capovilla at Department of Neuropediatrics, Ospedale Civile di Mantova, Mantova, Italy. neuroradiologic perturbation. Delta focal activity persistence in such a clinical context should be considered an RS sign, among the possible causes. Conclusioits: We are‘not aware of any early-stage RS EEG description. We think that the initial RS EEG picture is so unusual as to suggest such pathology. We hope that analogous reports can confirm our belief.
Rasmussen’s syndrome: longitudinal EEG study from the first seizure to epilepsia partialis continua.
DALLA BERNARDINA, Bernardo
1997-01-01
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of our work was to describe the initial electroencephalographic characteristics of Rasmussen’s syndrome (RS). Methods: We performed repeated EEG recordings in an 11- year 5-month-old girl affected by RS, as demonstrated through the progressive evolution of the illness. All EEGs were carried out in polygraphy and videorecordered, both in waking and in sleep. Results: In our opinion, our patient’s EEG picture is absolutely unusual in childhood partial epilepsy form without any In 1958, Rasmussen et al. (1) described a particular clinical picture characterized by association of chronic encephalitis with intractable partial epilepsy. They presented the cases of three patients with progressive intellectual deterioration and hemiparesis associated with epilepsy. Since then, many cases of Rasmussen’s syndrome (RS) have been described with particular reference to its clinical, neuroradiologic, neuropathologic, and therapeutic aspects (2-6). Paradoxically, little attention has been paid to EEG findings, which are just mentioned in articles and rarely illustrated by images (7,8). In particular we were unable to find any initial-stage EEG description. Here we present an RS case with a longitudinal EEG study from the first seizure to the appearance of epilepsia partialis continua (EPC). CASE STUDY Our patient was in good health until age 11 years and 5 months, when she had a 15-min seizure characterized by staring, right arm paresthesias, and speech impairment. There was no evidence of postictal deficit. Neu- Accepted October 30, 1996. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. G. Capovilla at Department of Neuropediatrics, Ospedale Civile di Mantova, Mantova, Italy. neuroradiologic perturbation. Delta focal activity persistence in such a clinical context should be considered an RS sign, among the possible causes. Conclusioits: We are‘not aware of any early-stage RS EEG description. We think that the initial RS EEG picture is so unusual as to suggest such pathology. We hope that analogous reports can confirm our belief.
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