title: Benign nocturnal alternating hemiplegia of childhood: two cases with positive evolution.
abstract: Benign nocturnal alternating hemiplegia (BNAH) of childhood is distinct from the classic form of malignant alternating hemiplegia of childhood [1]. It is characterized by hemiplegic attacks occurring exclusively during sleep [2]. It can be misdiagnosed as migraine, nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, benign rolandic epilepsy, Panayiotopoulos syndrome, or sleep-related movement disorder [1-4]. Only nine patients have been described to date, with typically, a normal development [1,5-7]. In order to insist about the benignity of the affection, we report two cases: a new three-year-old boy suffering from BNAH and a patient already published to show positive evolution at fourteen years of age. BNAH is a rare disorder but may be underdiagnosed. Making an early diagnosis can help to describe to the parents the good prognosis without treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, University Hospital of Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France. frederic.villega@chu-bordeaux.fr
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villéga
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Espil-Taris
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Husson
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pedespan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*