Childhood headache syndromes [part II]

Headache is one of the most common reason that children are referred to the Pecliatric Neurology Services. It is said that ten percent of children aged 5 to 15 years have migraine. Subsequently, it is essential for clinician to have a through, comprehensive and systematic approach to the evaluation and management of the child or adolescent who complains of headache. This writing aims to explore the symptoms of headache, its epidemiology, classification, appropriate evaluation, differential diagnosis and management. Headaches are divided into primary and secondary categories. Migraine and tension type headaches are prototype of primary headaches without underlying pathology. On the other hand, the type of headache which stems from organic diseases such as: brain tumor, increased intracranial pressure, systemic disease, drug toxicity, ear-nose and throat problems are considered secondary. On the whole, the majority of children with primary headache have two patterns of headache. One is a chronic low-grade and the other is an intermittent disabling headache. The cause of the former is either caffeine or analgesic abuse, and the latter is predominantly migraine. Traditionally, if a child presents himself with chief complain of headache, care taker physician begins with history taking followed by thorough physical and neurological examinations. In the majority of the cases, this initial process leads to a diagnosis or indicate the need for further testing. Once the diagnosis is made, a management program can be put into place

Efficacy of the ketogenic diet as a therapy for intractable epilepsy in children

To determine the role of ketogenic diet in the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children. Sixty six consecutive children [1-16 years old] with intractable epilepsy whose seizure were not neurodegenerative nor febrile in origin were recruited. They received the ketogenic diet and we evaluated its effect on seizure frequency for 3 months. All these children had more than five seizures per week despite adequate therapy with at least 3-4 anticonvulsant medications. Carbohydrates were initially limited to 10 gr/day and fats constituted 75% of the total energy requirement. Response to the diet was categorized as free of seizure, 99%-75%, 50%-75%, 25%-49% and lower than 25% reduction [resistant to therapy]. Fifty five patients [84%] out of 66 children initiating the diet continued it after 1 week. After 3 months, 80% of the patients kept the diet. After one week, one month and 3 months, there was a more than 50% decrease in the frequency of the seizures in 40 [60%], 50 [75%] and 39 [59%] of the patients, respectively. Three patients [4.5%] were seizure-free after 1 week, 12 [18%] were seizure-free after one month and 12 [18%] were seizure-free after three months and a significant relationship was found between seizure reduction and the type of epilepsy [p<0.017]. The ketogenic diet should be considered as an alternative therapy for children with intractable seizures. It is more effective than many of the new anticonvulsant medications and is well tolerated by children and their families

Childhood headache syndromes [part I]

Headache is one of the most common reason that children are referred to the Pediatric Neurology Services. It is said that ten percent of children aged 5 to 15 years have migraine. Subsequently, it is important for clinician to have a thorough, comprehensive and systematic approach to the evaluation and management of the child or adolescent who complain of headache. This writing aims to explore the symptoms of headache, its epidemiology, classification, appropriate evaluation, differential diagnosis and management. Headaches are divided into primary and secondary categories. Migraine and tension type headaches are prototype of primary headaches without underlying pathology. On the other hand, the type of headache which stems from organic diseases such as: brain tumor, increased intracranial pressure, systemic disease, drug toxicity or Ear Nose and Throat problems, are considered secondary. On the whole, the majority of children with primary headache have two patterns of headache. One is a chronic low-grade and the other is an intermittent disabling headache. The cause of the former is either caffeine or analgesic abuse, and the latter is predominantly migraine. Traditionally, if a child presents himself with chief complain of headache, care taker physician begins with history taking followed by thorough physical and neurological examinations. In the majority of the cases, this initial process leads to a diagnosis or indicate the need for further testing. Once the diagnosis is made, a program of management comes into being

Infantile masturbation and paroxysmal disorders.

A recurrent paroxysmal presentation in children leads to different diagnoses and among them are neurologic and cardiac etiologies. Infantile masturbation is not a well known entity and cannot be differentiated easily from other disorders. Aim of this study is to elucidate and differentiate this condition from epileptic seizures. We report 3 cases of 10 to 30 mth old girls of infantile masturbation that their symptoms initiated at 2, 3 and 8 mth of age. These present with contraction and extension of lower extremities, scissoring of legs, perspiration, changing face color. In 2 cases body rocking and legs rubbing initiated then there after. Masturbation is one of the paroxysmal non-epileptic conditions of early infancy and is in differential diagnosis of epileptic seizures.