title: [Paroxysmal disorders caused by cerebral anoxia/hypoxia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the presentation of paroxystic episodes usually suggests epilepsy, there are many varied clinical conditions which occur periodically and paroxystically and are due to different causes. The pediatrician has to remember this in order not to make an erroneous diagnosis and so as to avoid unnecessary administration of antiepileptic drugs (which will be of no benefit), and also to avoid the repercussions which the diagnosis of epilepsy may have in family and social affairs. Paroxystic episodes related to anoxia/hypoxia are, amongst non-epileptic disorders, some of the commonest occurring in infancy and may have different degrees of importance: together with transitory, benign conditions such as apnea of crying there are serious and even potentially life-threatening events such as some syncopes of cardiac origin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We review the main situations included in this section.
authors: Hospital Universitario, Facultad de Medicina, Valladolid, España.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Palencia
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013575:Syncope / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology