Seizure exacerbation related to beta-lactam antibiotics in a child with cerebral dysgenesis.

A three-year-old boy with right hemimegalencephaly, developmental delay and left hemiparesis had well-controlled left focal seizures. Occasionally he had generalized seizures if he was given beta-lactam antibiotics. An EEG with simultaneous penicillin injection was performed to examine this apparent association: a secondarily generalized seizure was documented within two minutes of intravenous administration of the penicillin. This procedure confirmed the suspicion of a causal link between antibiotic treatment and seizures. The factors increasing susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotic-induced seizures are reviewed.