Seizure Syndrome

Article "Convulsive syndrome"

Etiology, pathogenesis. Convulsive syndrome is divided by origin into non-epileptic (secondary, symptomatic, seizures) and epileptic. Non-epileptic seizures may later become epileptic.

Secondary convulsive (epileptiform) seizures are more often observed in newborns and young children. Convulsions may be associated with asphyxia of newborns, intracranial birth or domestic trauma, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hemolytic disease of the newborn (hyperbilirubinemic encephalopathy), and intrauterine infections. Convulsions are observed at the onset of acute infectious diseases, with endogenous and exogenous intoxications and poisonings (uremia, hepatic coma, toxic syndrome, household poisoning), with hereditary metabolic diseases (phenylketonuria and other abnormalities of amino acid metabolism, galactosemia, Tay-Sachs disease).

The causes of seizures can be congenital defects in the development of the central nervous system, hereditary metabolic diseases, as well as focal brain lesions (tumor, abscess). They are also observed in pathologies of the cardiovascular system and heart (congenital heart defects, collapse), and in certain blood diseases (hemophilia, hemorrhagic vasculitis, thrombocytopenic purpura, leukemia). Convulsions can occur during anoxic conditions, which include fainting and respiratory-affective convulsions (the result of strong emotions). In young children, seizures may be associated with elevated body temperature. Risk factors for the transition of febrile seizures to epileptic seizures are a history of traumatic brain injury, the duration of seizures for more than 30 minutes, and their reoccurrence.

In case of convulsions in children in the first weeks of life, it is advisable to conduct research on hereditary metabolic diseases. With convulsive syndrome, characteristic changes are detected on the EEG. X-rays of the skull may reveal changes indicating the organic nature of the convulsive syndrome. Other tests help determine the causes of seizures.

When examining the cerebrospinal fluid, changes may be detected that indicate inflammation or a space-occupying process. Biochemical blood tests in some cases reveal disorders that cause seizures.

Clinical picture. Kli spasms