Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm

Background Infantile spasms (IS) is an age-spedfic epilepsy syndrome characterized by flexor, extensor, and mixed flexor-extensor spasms which often occur in clusters during the first 2 years of life. IS is often difficult to manage 'With the usual anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs). Therapy with adren...

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Main Author: I Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Indonesian Pediatric Society Publishing House 2011-04-01
Series:Paediatrica Indonesiana
Subjects:
Online Access:https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/894
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author I Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba
author_facet I Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba
author_sort I Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba
collection DOAJ
description Background Infantile spasms (IS) is an age-spedfic epilepsy syndrome characterized by flexor, extensor, and mixed flexor-extensor spasms which often occur in clusters during the first 2 years of life. IS is often difficult to manage 'With the usual anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs). Therapy with adrenocorticotropin honnone (ACTH) has been used since 1958. In Indonesia, ACTH usage is still rare. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of ACTH as an anti-epileptic drug in managing IS. Methods This was descriptive retrospective cohort study. Subjects were IS patients who visited the neurology outpatient clinic in Sanglah Hospital, Bali, from January 2007 until June 2010. Each subject received AED(s) plus either ACTH or methylprednisolone for 4􀁆6 weeks. Results There were 19 IS patients over the four year duration of this study. They were mostly boys (11), aged 2 weeks to 17 months, with a mean age at treatment of 9 months. Eighteen patients received poly therapy, while one patient received only phenobarbital as monotherapy. Most patients who received ACTH (13/16) had a seizure-free period, while the 3 that did not receive ACTH continued having seizures. Patients who received ACTH showed a good response (seizure-free) after 5-13 days therapy and their EEG pattern showed disappearance of burst suppression Mthin 1-2 weeks. ACTH side effects included weight gain and cushingoid appearance. One patient died from pneumonia. Conclusions Diagnosis of IS should be considered in patients pre-senting Mth spasms at less than 6 months old. IS treatment should begin as soon as possible. IS patients responded well to a short course of ACTH therapy.
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spelling doaj.art-51ec4d2a09ed43ff9295a783c939034d2022-12-21T18:23:15ZengIndonesian Pediatric Society Publishing HousePaediatrica Indonesiana0030-93112338-476X2011-04-015129410010.14238/pi51.2.2011.94-100754Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasmI Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba0Department of Child Health, Udayana University Medical School/Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar, BaliBackground Infantile spasms (IS) is an age-spedfic epilepsy syndrome characterized by flexor, extensor, and mixed flexor-extensor spasms which often occur in clusters during the first 2 years of life. IS is often difficult to manage 'With the usual anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs). Therapy with adrenocorticotropin honnone (ACTH) has been used since 1958. In Indonesia, ACTH usage is still rare. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of ACTH as an anti-epileptic drug in managing IS. Methods This was descriptive retrospective cohort study. Subjects were IS patients who visited the neurology outpatient clinic in Sanglah Hospital, Bali, from January 2007 until June 2010. Each subject received AED(s) plus either ACTH or methylprednisolone for 4􀁆6 weeks. Results There were 19 IS patients over the four year duration of this study. They were mostly boys (11), aged 2 weeks to 17 months, with a mean age at treatment of 9 months. Eighteen patients received poly therapy, while one patient received only phenobarbital as monotherapy. Most patients who received ACTH (13/16) had a seizure-free period, while the 3 that did not receive ACTH continued having seizures. Patients who received ACTH showed a good response (seizure-free) after 5-13 days therapy and their EEG pattern showed disappearance of burst suppression Mthin 1-2 weeks. ACTH side effects included weight gain and cushingoid appearance. One patient died from pneumonia. Conclusions Diagnosis of IS should be considered in patients pre-senting Mth spasms at less than 6 months old. IS treatment should begin as soon as possible. IS patients responded well to a short course of ACTH therapy.https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/894infantile spasmshypsarrhythmiaACTH
spellingShingle I Gusti Ngurah Made Suwarba
Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
Paediatrica Indonesiana
infantile spasms
hypsarrhythmia
ACTH
title Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
title_full Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
title_fullStr Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
title_full_unstemmed Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
title_short Outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
title_sort outcome of synthetic adrenocorticotropin hormone treatment in children with infantile spasm
topic infantile spasms
hypsarrhythmia
ACTH
url https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/894
work_keys_str_mv AT igustingurahmadesuwarba outcomeofsyntheticadrenocorticotropinhormonetreatmentinchildrenwithinfantilespasm