1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-11-36-a 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-11-5-6 Seizure Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Rasmussen’s Syndrome: EEG Study http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 05 1997 01 05 2016 11 5 36 36 Copyright: © 1997 The Author(s) 1997 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Rasmussen’s syndrome: longitudinal EEG study from the first seizure to epilepsia partialis continua

The early and follow-up EEG characteristics of Rasmussen’s syndrome are reported in an 11-year-old girl studied at Ospedale Civile, Mantova, Italy.

 Rasmussen’s Syndrome Left Temporal Hypoperfusion Speech Impairment

The early and follow-up EEG characteristics of Rasmussen’s syndrome are reported in an 11-year-old girl studied at Ospedale Civile, Mantova, Italy. Delta activity localized to the left temporal region persisted in the EEG three days following an initial 15 min partial seizure characterized by staring, right arm parasthesias, and speech impairment. Neurologic exam and MRI were normal. SPECT scan showed left temporal hypoperfusion. Recurrent partial focal clonic seizures responded to steroid therapy but relapsed when treatment was discontinued after 2 months. Epilepsia partialis continua developed, and the EEG showed a spike focus complicating the continuous slow activity in the left rolandic region. A repeat MRI showed mild rolandic cortical atrophy. After 2 years, the patient was aphasic, hemiplegic, and mentally deteriorated, and seizures were refractory to antiepileptic drugs, corticosteroids, and alpha globulins. Plasmapheresis was of little benefit. [1]

COMMENT. The EEG may help in the early diagnosis of Rasmussen’s syndrome in a child with partial seizures complicated by speech impairment and normal MRI. Focal delta activity without epileptiform spikes may preceed the onset of epilepsia partialis continua by several months.

Capovilla G Paladin F Bernardina BD Rasmussen’s syndrome: longitudinal EEG study from the first seizure to epilepsia partialis continua Epilepsia 1997 Apr 38 4 483 488 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1997.tb01739.x 9118855