title: Benign afebrile convulsions in the course of mild acute gastroenteritis: a study of 28 patients and a literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since the description of afebrile convulsions in the course of mild acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in 1982 by Morooka in Japan, there have been few reports of further cases outside Asia. The aim of this study was to share our casuistry--from a non-Asian country.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of identified cases in our center from January 2002 to December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 28 patients were studied. All were previously healthy patients who experienced convulsions with mild AGE without dehydration and with normal blood analysis. The mean age was 17.25 months (range, 6-48 months), with 93% younger than 24 months. Seizures were generalized tonic-clonic (61%), followed by generalized tonic (31%), and hypotonic (5.2%), with 2 (2.6%) partial. Only 8 patients (28.6%) presented one convulsion, and in 13 patients (46%), the seizures were in clusters from 3 to 6. Eleven patients (39%) presented 2 different types of convulsion. The duration of the crises ranged from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, and all of them occurred within 24 hours of the first. Electroencephalograms, obtained for all patients, were normal. Rotavirus was the main infectious agent in the AGEs, found in 11 patients with 22 determinations. In one patient, Salmonella serotype Enteritidis was isolated. All of the patients developed favorably, with no sequelae or epilepsy during the follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Afebrile convulsion in the course of mild gastroenteritis exists in our environment. It is a banal symptom in the course of the disease with good prognosis. Recognition of this fact may help avoid needless explorations and treatment in patients of this kind.
authors: Pediatrics Service, University Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Barcelona, Spain. wfasheh@hsjdbcn.org
authors: Wael
authors: W
authors: Fasheh Youssef
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Pino Ramírez
authors: Jaume
authors: J
authors: Campistol Plana
authors: Mercedes
authors: M
authors: Pineda Marfa
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003681:Dehydration / Q000453:epidemiology; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures