title: Absence epilepsy and periventricular nodular heterotopia.
abstract: We report a case of a girl who presented with typical absence seizures at age of 4.5 years. EEG showed absence seizures of sudden onset with 3 Hz spike-and-waves that also correlated with the clinical absences. The seizure semiology included subtle deviation of the eyes which prompted MRI investigation of the brain. This showed a periventricular nodular heterotopia in the mid to anterior horn of the right lateral ventricle. Although possibly coincidental, periventricular heterotopia are considered to be epileptogenic and this association has been reported once before. Migration disorders, such as in the periventricular heterotopia of our patient, may influence the formation and excitability of the striato-thalamo-cortical network involved in the generation of 3 Hz spike-waves.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pediatric Neurology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, The Netherlands. m.c.y.dewit@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: M C Y
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.forename: I F M
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: de Coo
authors.forename: W F M
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lequin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: G M S
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054091:Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000077213:Lamotrigine