Myelitis is a rare inflammatory myelopathy, and known associated etiologies only account for a small number of causes. A significant percentage of cases have an unknown etiology and are considered idiopathic. With 64% to 68% of cases fitting into the idiopathic category, helminth infections, and specifically pinworm parainfections, should be considered in cases that would otherwise be classified as idiopathic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeadache in children and adolescents is a common symptom that can be worrisome to patients, their parents and clinicians due to the myriad of underlying etiologies, both benign and life-threatening. The evaluation of headache must be directed primarily to exclude secondary causes. A detailed headache history, recognition of headache patterns and red flags and thorough physical and neurological examinations are essential in the diagnosis; and identifies patients requiring further workup.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Rapid, effective treatment for status epilepticus reduces associated morbidity and mortality, yet medication delivery remains slow in many hospitalized patients. We utilized quality improvement (QI) methodology to improve treatment times for hospitalized children with status epilepticus. We hypothesized rapid initial seizure treatment would decrease seizure morbidity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSemin Pediatr Neurol
July 2018
We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who presented with headaches, optic disc edema, and left eye esotropia. He had recently returned to the United States after living in Kenya for approximately 3 years. His brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multifocal lesions with significant perilesional edema seemingly out of proportion to his neurologic examination findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile the diagnosis of migraine in children is generally straightforward, treatment can seem complex with a number of medication choices, many of which are used "off label." Patients with intermittent migraines can often be managed with ibuprofen or naproxen taken as needed. Unfortunately, by the time that children present to our practice, they have often tried these medications without improvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is a paucity of pediatric data addressing the complex relationship between primary headaches and sleep disturbances. Our study objective was to explore headache-related factors that predict sleep disturbance and to compare sleep complaints with other forms of headache-related disability among youth with migraines.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients 10-18 years old with migraine or probable migraine and without daily sleep complaints.
Objective: The aim of this study is to compare daily Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS)-based scores for headaches occurring on school days vs non-school days and during the school year vs the summer holiday.
Background: The PedMIDAS is the only instrument validated to assess migraine disability among school-aged children. However, the PedMIDAS may underestimate disability during prolonged school holidays.