Spontaneous remission of infantile spasms following rotavirus gastroenteritis

Epileptic seizures might be provoked and/or exacerbated by fever or viral infection in children with epilepsy. However, this is not true for infantile spasms; in this study, we report three cases with infantile spasms became seizure free within 2-5 days following rotavirus gastroenteritis without an exchange or addition of antiepileptic drugs, and hypsarrhythmia evolved to diffuse slow waves or localized spikes on electroencephalography. We propose that the probability regarding the mechanism of spontaneous mitigation is the suppression of immunopathological processes caused by infection, while the possibility of ketogenic effects of diarrhea and intestinal flora recombination after rotavirus gastroenteritis is unlikely. Further study may provide important information concerning the mechanism of seizure control and the applicability to treatment for infantile spasms.

Keywords: Infantile spasms; Rotavirus gastroenteritis; Spontaneous remission; Transiently.