Ambulatory electroencephalogram in children: A prospective clinical audit of 100 cases.

Ambulatory electroencephalogram has been used for differentiating epileptic from nonepileptic events, recording seizure frequency and classification of seizure type. We studied 100 consecutive children prospectively aged 11 days to 16 years that were referred for an ambulatory electroencephalogram to a regional children's hospital. Ambulatory electroencephalogram was clinically useful in contributing to a clinical diagnosis in 71% of children who were referred with a range of clinical questions.

Clinical reasoning and investigations for resective surgery for medically refractory epilepsies in children.

The article presents results of a UK survey of pediatric neurologists' views regarding resective surgery for medically refractory epilepsies in children. In contrast to surveys with adult neurologists, the findings indicate that delays to surgery in the pediatric field are not likely to be due to clinicians' views. There is, however, variability in clinicians' opinions as to what constitutes medically refractory epilepsy, variability in the factors reported as necessary for surgery eligibility, and uncertainty as to how these concepts should be defined.

Parental and physician beliefs regarding the provision and content of written sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) information.

Purpose: The 2007 UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for epilepsy recommend disclosing the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) to patients. This recommendation is not undertaken routinely, and considerable variation in individual physician practice exists. Literature indicates wariness of causing distress and anxiety, particularly to children/young people and their families through disclosing a nonpreventable risk.

Acute hydrocephalus in a child with Mycoplasma cerebellitis.

Mycoplasma cerebellitis though rare, may rapidly progress to hydrocephalus needing surgical intervention. It has not been reported so far in children. We report a 6 year old girl with mycoplasma cerebellitis which progressed to acute hydrocephalus needing an emergency external ventricular drain.

Neurological presentation of Griscelli syndrome: obstructive hydrocephalus without haematological abnormalities or organomegaly.

Griscelli syndrome is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterised by partial albinism, immunodeficiency, organomegaly and accelerated phases. During accelerated phases, pancytopenia, haemophagocytosis, hypoproteinemeia occur which may be accompanied by neurological deterioration. Primary neurological presentation is rare and we report a case that presented with obstructive hydrocephalus and infiltrative lesions in the brain unaccompanied by other features of accelerated phase.

Sedaghatian spondylometaphyseal dysplasia with pachygyria and absence of the corpus callosum.

We report on a female infant with a metaphyseal dysplasia and a neuronal migration abnormality consistent with a diagnosis of Sedaghatian spondylometaphyseal dysplasia. This child, born to nonconsanguineous Caucasian parents, was hypotonic from birth and experienced recurrent cyanotic episodes within a few hours of delivery. Cerebral imaging revealed absence of the corpus callosum and marked frontotemporal pachygyria.

Pilot survey of Hashimoto's encephalopathy in children.

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a steroid responsive, relapsing encephalopathy associated with thyroid autoantibodies. Paediatric literature mainly consists of case reports of the disease. A questionnaire survey of 68 consultant paediatric neurologists was undertaken through the British Paediatric Neurology Association in 2002 to gather preliminary data about this condition.

Epilepsy with reversible bulbar dysfunction.

In patients with focal epilepsy, focal neurological dysfunction can occur due to status epilepticus and also as a post-ictal phenomenon. Bulbar dysfunction as evident by drooling, dysarthria, swallowing difficulties, and palatal-glossalpharyngeal weakness has been reported in conjunction with epilepsy. This is non-progressive and is correlated in its severity with the frequency of seizures.