RESUMO
PURPOSE: Febrile seizure, the most common seizure disorder in children between 6 months and 5 years of age, is mostly caused by viral infections, except severe CNS infection. It can also be caused by disorders in organic acid metabolism, especially accompanied by fever. Therefore we decided to investigate the relationship between children with febrile seizures and disorders in organic acid metabolism. METHODS: We examined 54 children with febrile seizure who visited Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital Emergency Department from February 2002 to January 2004. We conducted urine organic acid analysis, CBC, urine analysis, serum ammonia and gas analysis. RESULTS: Thirteen(24.1%) patients showed ketonuria, eight(14.8%) patients showed lactic aciduria and ketonuria, two(3.7%) patients showed pyruvic aciduria, and one(1.8%) showed mandelic aciduria. CONCLUSION: Twenty four of 54(44.4%) showed abnormal findings in urine organic acid analysis. Most results are ketonuria or lactic aciduria with ketonuria. They may show in fasting, severe infection or ketolytic defect(ex, 3-ketothiolase deficiency). Patients with 3-ketothiolase deficiency, can develop seizures during fever, and fasting state. Therefore further evaluation is necessary.