title: Spontaneous remission of spasms in West syndrome--implications of viral infection.
abstract: On a database of the Japanese medical literature between 1970 and 2000, there were 29 patients with West syndrome showing spontaneous remission. In 25/29 (86%) of the patients, spontaneous remission was preceded by viral infections, among which exanthema subitum predominated. In 16/29 (55%), the spasms recurred a median of 2 months later. However, some of the remaining infants attained lasting remission of the spasms. This link between viral infections and spontaneous remission suggests immuno-inflammatory processes underlie West syndrome in certain patients. Better understanding of such mechanisms may lead to a new therapeutic approach to West syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kyoto University School of Medicine, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. hhat2kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hattori
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines