Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria.
BACKGROUND: Abnormal motor posturing is often observed in children with cerebral malaria, but the aetiology and pathogenesis is poorly understood. This study examined the risk factors and outcome of posturing in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. METHODS: Records of children admitted to Kilifi...
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| Fformat: | Journal article |
| Iaith: | English |
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BioMed Central
2005
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| _version_ | 1826294967938580480 |
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| author | Idro, R Otieno, G White, S Kahindi, A Fegan, G Ogutu, B Mithwani, S Maitland, K Neville, BG Newton, C |
| author_facet | Idro, R Otieno, G White, S Kahindi, A Fegan, G Ogutu, B Mithwani, S Maitland, K Neville, BG Newton, C |
| author_sort | Idro, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | BACKGROUND: Abnormal motor posturing is often observed in children with cerebral malaria, but the aetiology and pathogenesis is poorly understood. This study examined the risk factors and outcome of posturing in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. METHODS: Records of children admitted to Kilifi district hospital with cerebral malaria from January, 1999 through December, 2001 were reviewed for posturing occurring on or after admission. The clinical characteristics, features of raised intracranial pressure, number of seizures and biochemical changes in patients that developed posturing was compared to patients who did not. RESULTS: Of the 417 children with complete records, 163 (39.1%) had posturing: 85 on admission and 78 after admission to hospital. Decorticate posturing occurred in 80, decerebrate in 61 and opisthotonic posturing in 22 patients. Posturing was associated with age > or = 3 years (48.1 vs 35.8%, p = 0.01) and features of raised intracranial pressure on funduscopy (adjusted OR 2.1 95%CI 1.2-3.7, p = 0.009) but not other markers of severity of disease. Unlike decorticate posturing, decerebrate (adjusted OR 1.9 95%CI 1.0-3.5) and opisthotonic posturing (adjusted OR 2.9 95%CI 1.0-8.1) were, in addition, independently associated with recurrence of seizures after admission. Opisthotonus was also associated with severe metabolic acidosis (OR 4.2 95%CI 3.2-5.6, p < 0.001). Thirty one patients with posturing died. Of these, 19 (61.3%) had features suggestive of transtentorial herniation. Mortality and neurological deficits on discharge were greatest in those developing posturing after admission. CONCLUSION: Abnormal motor posturing is a common feature of cerebral malaria in children. It is associated with features of raised intracranial pressure and recurrence of seizures, although intracranial hypertension may be the primary cause. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:53:52Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:c2303ff8-d7ac-4053-8a2d-1e6ea0d40188 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:53:52Z |
| publishDate | 2005 |
| publisher | BioMed Central |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:c2303ff8-d7ac-4053-8a2d-1e6ea0d401882022-03-27T06:07:10ZDecorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:c2303ff8-d7ac-4053-8a2d-1e6ea0d40188EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordBioMed Central2005Idro, ROtieno, GWhite, SKahindi, AFegan, GOgutu, BMithwani, SMaitland, KNeville, BGNewton, C BACKGROUND: Abnormal motor posturing is often observed in children with cerebral malaria, but the aetiology and pathogenesis is poorly understood. This study examined the risk factors and outcome of posturing in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. METHODS: Records of children admitted to Kilifi district hospital with cerebral malaria from January, 1999 through December, 2001 were reviewed for posturing occurring on or after admission. The clinical characteristics, features of raised intracranial pressure, number of seizures and biochemical changes in patients that developed posturing was compared to patients who did not. RESULTS: Of the 417 children with complete records, 163 (39.1%) had posturing: 85 on admission and 78 after admission to hospital. Decorticate posturing occurred in 80, decerebrate in 61 and opisthotonic posturing in 22 patients. Posturing was associated with age > or = 3 years (48.1 vs 35.8%, p = 0.01) and features of raised intracranial pressure on funduscopy (adjusted OR 2.1 95%CI 1.2-3.7, p = 0.009) but not other markers of severity of disease. Unlike decorticate posturing, decerebrate (adjusted OR 1.9 95%CI 1.0-3.5) and opisthotonic posturing (adjusted OR 2.9 95%CI 1.0-8.1) were, in addition, independently associated with recurrence of seizures after admission. Opisthotonus was also associated with severe metabolic acidosis (OR 4.2 95%CI 3.2-5.6, p < 0.001). Thirty one patients with posturing died. Of these, 19 (61.3%) had features suggestive of transtentorial herniation. Mortality and neurological deficits on discharge were greatest in those developing posturing after admission. CONCLUSION: Abnormal motor posturing is a common feature of cerebral malaria in children. It is associated with features of raised intracranial pressure and recurrence of seizures, although intracranial hypertension may be the primary cause. |
| spellingShingle | Idro, R Otieno, G White, S Kahindi, A Fegan, G Ogutu, B Mithwani, S Maitland, K Neville, BG Newton, C Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title | Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title_full | Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title_fullStr | Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title_short | Decorticate, decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in Kenyan children with cerebral malaria. |
| title_sort | decorticate decerebrate and opisthotonic posturing and seizures in kenyan children with cerebral malaria |
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