A Study to Evaluate the Clinical Profile of Patients with West Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Background: West Syndrome is an epilepsy syndromecomprising the triad of infantile spasms, an interictalelectroencephalogram (EEG) pattern termed hypsarrhythmiaand neurological regression. The aim of the present study tostudy the clinical profile of patients with West Syndrome.Materials and Methods: The present study was conductedamong 100 patients at B. J. Wadia Hospital for children, atertiary care teaching hospital at Parel, Mumbai over a periodof 18-24 months. Complete history was taken. Based onetiology West syndrome was classified as symptomatic (knownetiology) or cryptogenic (unknown etiology). Following tests willbe used to find correlation between different parameters withthe above outcome – one-way ANNOVA, unpaired t- test,Mean Whitney test, chi-square test and Kruskal Wallis.Results: In the present study total number of patients studiedincluded in the study were 100.The mean age at which patientswith infantile spasms presented to our hospital was 8.9 monthswhile the age of onset of spasms were 6 months. Male Femaleratio was 3.51. Etiology of West syndrome was identified in74% children (Symptomatic) and 26% remained cryptogenicand idiopathic. The etiology of infantile spasms commonestbeing birth asphyxia (HIE) ;4 patients had history of meningitisin neonatal period; 2 were diagnosed with tuberous sclerosisand 4 with some brain deformity based on neuroimaging; and 1with TORCH infection. Frequency distribution of behaviourabnormalities and other evolving seizure types (over the followup years) among the patients was less.Conclusion: Our study concluded that Symptomatic WestSyndrome was the most common type, hypoxic ischaemicencephalopathy being the commonest etiology of it.