Electroclinical features of benign infantile seizures with mild gastroenteritis

The purpose of this study was to analyze the electroclinical features of patients with benign infantile seizures with mild gastroenteritis and demonstrate the benign nature of this entity. From 30 patients who were included in the study, five were excluded (two with developmental delay, one with microcephaly and two lost during follow-up). Twenty-five patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for benign infantile seizures with mild gastroenteritis were assessed and followed at the Pediatric Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia, between January 2004 and January 2009. The median age at presentation was 10.4 months. Of the infants, 14 were females and 11 were males. Seizures were focal tonic or clonic in eight (32%) patients, focal with secondary generalisation in three (12%), generalised tonic-clonic in nine (36%) and consisted of staring only with no motor components in five (20%). Interictal electroencephalograms and brain imaging were normal for all patients. No patient required treatment with antiepileptic drugs. All the patients were found to have normal psychomotor development and neurological examination after a follow-up period of between 15 and 56 months. The limitations of this study are the relatively small sample size, relatively short study period and the fact that the study was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. The prevalence of this entity may be more common at the level of primary health centres. Increasing the awareness of clinicians regarding the existence of this syndrome and its benign nature in children will limit unnecessary investigations. [Published with video sequences]