Long-term treatment of children with epilepsy with valproate or carbamazepine may cause subclinical hypothyroidism.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate serum thyroid hormone balance in children receiving long-term therapy with carbamazepine (CBZ), valproate (VPA), and phenobarbital (PB).

Methods: We determined serum levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in 148 healthy children and 141 children with epilepsy who had been receiving CBZ (61 patients), VPA (51 patients), or PB (29 patients) for 12-161 months. In view of TSH values, three categories of subclinical hypothyroidism were considered: I, TSH greater than the control-group mean + 2 SD (4.

Congenital myopathy with type II muscle fiber hypoplasia.

An unusual congenital neuromuscular disease characterized by atypically small type II muscle fibers is reported. The patients were a 9-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy, both of whom showed motor retardation with proximal muscle wasting and hypotonia. Muscle biopsy revealed hypoplastic type II fibers and normal type I fibers.

[Migraine in childhood and adolescence: a retrospective review of hospital cases].

A retrospective study of 101 cases of infantile migraine aged between 3 and 14 years is reported. Both sexes were affected equally, being common migraine the most frequent form. The immediate positive family history for migraine and underlying precipitating factors were identified in 66% and 88% of the cases respectively.

[Familial agenesis of the corpus callosum: a new form].

BACKGROUND. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is generally associated with other developmental defects of the cerebrum. Some familial cases have been reported.

Hyperaminoacidemia in epileptic children treated with valproic acid.

Serum amino acids were determined in 22 epileptic children treated with valproic acid. This treatment caused hypocarnitinemia in all, and hyperammonemia in 16. Regardless of the blood ammonia levels, values for glutamic acid, arginine, glycine, serine and alanine were higher than those of normal controls, while aspartic acid and ornithine were lower.

[Rett syndrome. A frequent cause of progressive mental retardation in girls].

We report 6 cases of Rett syndrome, a disorder that occurs only in girls and is characterized by slowly progressive deterioration of higher brain function, with dementia and autistic behavior, loss of purposeful use of the hands and deceleration of head growth. We consider interesting this report because Rett syndrome would be an important cause of mental retardation in girls, which has been overlooked until few years ago.

[Polymyositis and dermatomyositis in childhood].

Authors report clinical and laboratory findings, treatment and evolution of six girls and three boys aged between 20 months and 13 years, diagnosed of juvenile polymyositis-dermatomyositis in the last seven years. Presenting symptoms were asthenia and proximal muscle weakness; in 3 cases characteristic skin lesions were associated. All were treated initially with prednisone p.