title: Successful treatment of Ohtahara syndrome with chloral hydrate.
abstract: We present a patient with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with suppression bursts (Ohtahara syndrome) with an excellent response to chloral hydrate to draw attention to a possible role of the "old" drug in the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Chloral hydrate (58 mg/kg/day) was used for a short-term administration in a 5-week-old female with typical features of cryptogenic Ohtahara syndrome after the failure of conventional antiepileptic drugs. Seizures disappeared in the course of 24 hours after the launch of chloral hydrate therapy and have not recurred. Results of electroencephalogram studies of the child demonstrate marked improvement. Psychomotor development is significantly delayed. Detailed diagnostic tests have not revealed any metabolic or structural abnormalities of the brain. We conclude that chloral hydrate could be useful in the treatment of severe epileptic encephalopathies. Possible indications of the drug for intractable epilepsy treatment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University, Second Medical School, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krsek
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sebronová
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Procházka
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maulisová
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Komárek
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002697:Chloral Hydrate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020888:Vigabatrin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D002697:Chloral Hydrate; D014635:Valproic Acid; D020888:Vigabatrin