Recording Risk Factors of Physical Abuse in Children Younger Than 36 Months With Bone Fractures: A 12-Years Retrospective Study in an Italian General Hospital Emergency Room.

Skeletal fractures (SFs) are very common in pediatrics. In some cases, they are secondary to child abuse. Differentiation of accidental from non-accidental fractures (NAFs) is essential as in abused children risk of further injuries leading to severe clinical problems and death is significant.

Valproic Acid Metabolism and its Consequences on Sexual Functions.

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) is a broad spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED) that is generally regarded as a first-choice agent for most forms of idiopathic and symptomatic generalised epilepsies. Available data suggest that menstrual disorders and certain endocrine manifestations of reproductive system disorders may be more common in women treated with VPA than in those treated with other AEDs.

Methods: A PubMed search for MEDLINE was undertaken to look for studies using the terms "VPA metabolism", "VPA and sexual functions in men", "VPA and sexual functions in women" and "VPA metabolism and endocrine disorders" as key words.

Plant-Derived and Endogenous Cannabinoids in Epilepsy.

Cannabis is one of the oldest psychotropic drugs and its anticonvulsant properties have been known since the last century. The aim of this review was to analyze the efficacy of cannabis in the treatment of epilepsy in adults and children. In addition, a description of the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in epilepsy is given in order to provide a biochemical background to the effects of endogenous cannabinoids in our body.

Foetal safety of old and new antiepileptic drugs.

Introduction: Drugs teratogenicity has been studied for many years, especially teratogenic effects of antiepileptic drugs, because of the important impact that epilepsy has always had for young women, but data from literature are often conflicting.

Areas Covered: We have carried out a critical review of all human studies about the antiepileptic drugs teratogenicity. A systematic search was performed in Medline and PubMed up to May 1, 2015.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a cause of epilepsy and periventricular heterotopia.

Purpose: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) comprises a variety of inherited connective tissue disorders that have been described in association with various neurological features. Until now the neurological symptoms have not been studied in detail; therefore, the aim of this review is to analyze the possible association between EDS, epilepsy and periventricular heterotopia (PH).

Methods: We have carried out a critical review of all cases of epilepsy in EDS patients with and without PH.

Long-term prognosis of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and epilepsy.

Objective: Epilepsy in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) has been reported in the literature, but there are no studies that have investigated in detail clinical and electroencephalography (EEG) features in patients with EDS, and that have compared the outcome of epilepsy in subjects with or without brain lesions. We report a series of 42 patients with EDS and epilepsy, including data that concern clinical characteristics, EEG abnormalities, brain malformations at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and long-term outcome.

Methods: EEG, clinical information, and neuroimaging characteristics in 42 patients with EDS were analyzed at the onset of epilepsy and after long-term follow-up (at least 5 years).