title: [Treatment of West syndrome with vigabatrin: clinical and electroencephalographic evaluation of 13 patients].
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of vigabatrin (VGB) as a first drug to be used as monotherapy for West syndrome (WS), its side effects and correlations with the electroencephalogram (EEG). The sample consisted of 13 infants examined between October 2001 and September 2002 at IMIP ambulatory patients office or private clinic. Administration of vigabatrin was around 118 mg/kg/day. Suppression of spasms was obtained in 4 children (31%), partial control in 3 (23%), 5 of them did not present therapeutic response (38%) and just one (8%) got worse. On the two patients with tuberous sclerosis, one was seizure-free and in another there was partial control. Side effects happened in 8 children (62%) and consisted of irritability, insomnia, somnolence and agitation, and all of them have been well tolerated. The second EEG showed disappearance of hipsarrhythmia in 6 patients (46%). Four of these were seizure-free. We conclude that VGB is effective and well tolerated as initial monotherapy for WS.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Materno Infantil Professor Fernando Figueira, Rua das Fronteiras 83, 50070-170 Recife, PE, Brazil. adelianeuro@bol.com.br
authors.forename: Adélia Maria de Miranda
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Henriques-Souza
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ataide Junior
authors.forename: Silvia Gomes
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Laurentino
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020888:Vigabatrin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D020888:Vigabatrin