Scientific article
Case report
English

Epileptic falls and gait disturbance in two young children with a sharp wave focus at the vertex: a variant of benign partial epilepsy of childhood?

Published inEuropean journal of paediatric neurology, vol. 6, no. 3, p. 169-178
Publication date2002
Abstract

We describe two young children who presented with frequent falls and myoclonic jerks affecting the trunk and legs associated with a sharp and slow wave epileptic focus at the vertex. The initial neurological examination and brain magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Both patients had a persistent gait dysfunction, sometimes asymmetrical, fluctuating with the intensity of the epilepsy and the electroencephalogram abnormalities. The localization of the epileptic focus at the vertex, corresponding to the motor control of the legs and trunk, can explain this peculiar semiology. The seizures were difficult to treat, but one patient is currently in remission. Although epileptic falls are most often a feature of severe epilepsies of childhood, we think that these two patients present a variant of benign partial epilepsy of childhood.

Keywords
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsies, Myoclonic/diagnosis/physiopathology
  • Epilepsies, Partial/diagnosis/physiopathology
  • Epilepsy/diagnosis/physiopathology
  • Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/diagnosis/physiopathology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gait/physiology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Time Factors
Citation (ISO format)
CHAVES VISCHER, Virginie Isabelle et al. Epileptic falls and gait disturbance in two young children with a sharp wave focus at the vertex: a variant of benign partial epilepsy of childhood? In: European journal of paediatric neurology, 2002, vol. 6, n° 3, p. 169–178. doi: 10.1053/ejpn.2002.0586
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Article (Published version)
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
Journal ISSN1090-3798
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