[Possible etiologies of West syndrome: evaluation of 95 patients].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the etiologies of West syndrome (WS) among children followed in a rehabilitation center.


METHODS
Retrospective study with emphasis in the following items: gender, age at the diagnosis of WS and its etiology. The etiologies were divided into three categories: symptomatic, cryptogenic and idiopathic. Symptomatic cases were classified as follows: pre, post and perinatal.


RESULTS
Ninety-five patients were included. Fifty-nine were boys (62%). Mean age at the diagnosis was 4.9 (+/- 5.0) months. There were 25 cryptogenic (26.3%), one idiopathic (1.1%) and 69 (72.6%) symptomatic cases, most of them of perinatal origin.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings are in agreement with the literature. In the future, as our knowledge in the field of WS and its diagnostic methods increase, there will be a small number of cryptogenic and idiopathic cases.
Matta
André Palma da Cunha
AP
Centro de Reabilitação Infantil Evandro Carlos de Andrade, Rede Sarah de Hospitais de Reabilitação, Rua Antonio Callado 175/106, 22793-084 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. andrepcmatta@sarah.br
Chiacchio
Soraya Vilani Bonacorsi
SV
Leyser
Marcio
M
D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D018743:Perinatal Care; D047928:Premature Birth; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology