A case of Ohtahara syndrome with cytochrome oxidase deficiency

Ohtahara syndrome is a rare cause of epileptic seizures during the neonatal period. This is believed to be the first report of this syndrome with a specific metabolic defect. Defects in respiratory chain function may be more common than previously assumed in patients with this epilepsy syndrome.     

Persistence of suppression-bursts in a patient with Ohtahara syndrome

Early infantile epileptic encephalopathy, or Ohtahara syndrome, is characterized by tonic spasms and a suppression-burst pattern on the electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG demonstrates a suppression-burst pattern during waking and sleeping states that often evolves into hypsarrhythmia and followed later by a diffuse slow spike-wave pattern. In other patients, the EEG evolves into focal spike discharges or multiple independent spike foci. We report a 5-year-old girl with Ohtahara syndrome that persistently demonstrated tonic spasms and suppression-burst on multiple EEGs. Over her lifetime, neither hypsarrhythmia nor diffuse slow spike-wave pattern were seen. This suggests that in Ohtahara syndrome, a suppression-burst pattern can persist over a long period of time.     

A case of topographical disturbance following a left medial parieto-occipital lobe infarction]

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for his sudden-onset right hemianopsia. Thirty days after the onset, neuropsychological examination revealed obvious topographical disorientation and mild optic ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal intensity area at the left medial parietooccipital region and left splenium of the corpus callosum. Although single photon emission CT showed uptake decrement in the left hemisphere, almost normal uptake was observed in the right hemisphere. He could recognize landmarks, but fail to recognize the relative position of landmarks. Therefore, his topographical disorientation was considered to be due to perceptual disturbance, memory disturbance of relative position of landmarks, or both. He was right-handed with no sinistral relative, and showed dyslexia and dysgraphia early in his clinical course. The laterality index of the dichotic listening test revealed the right ear dominance. These results indicated that his left hemisphere was language dominant. His topographical disorientation could be caused by the medial parieto-occipital lesion in the dominant hemisphere.     

A case of Ohtahara syndrome with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I deficiency

Ohtahara syndrome (OS) is known as an intractable epileptic syndrome in neonatal and early infantile period, differentiated from early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME) in its etiology. We report a patient with OS associated with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex (MRC) I defect. With ketogenic diet and mitochondrial cocktail therapy, seizures were completely controlled and suppression-burst patterns disappeared 3 months after starting treatment. It is suggested that OS could be caused by specific metabolic disorder such as MRC defect and the intensive therapies including ketogenic diet, vitamin and coenzyme therapy and antioxidant treatment might be helpful for some patients.     

A case of Ohtahara syndrome with olivary-dentate dysplasia and agenesis of mamillary bodies

We report a patient with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) with suppression-burst (Ohtahara syndrome) associated with olivary-dentate dysplasia and agenesis of mamillary bodies is reported. Although those with Ohtahara syndrome are a heterogeneous group, virtually all reported cases are secondary to neuronal migrational disorders, sometimes only identified by detailed neuropathologic examination, as in this case report, which describes mamillary body agenesis as a not-yet-recognized anomaly associated with Ohtahara syndrome. All children with Ohtahara syndrome should have high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and detailed postmortem neuropathologic examinations.     

Successful treatment of Ohtahara syndrome with chloral hydrate

We present a patient with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with suppression bursts (Ohtahara syndrome) with an excellent response to chloral hydrate to draw attention to a possible role of the “old” drug in the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Chloral hydrate (58 mg/kg/day) was used for a short-term administration in a 5-week-old female with typical features of cryptogenic Ohtahara syndrome after the failure of conventional antiepileptic drugs. Seizures disappeared in the course of 24 hours after the launch of chloral hydrate therapy and have not recurred. Results of electroencephalogram studies of the child demonstrate marked improvement. Psychomotor development is significantly delayed. Detailed diagnostic tests have not revealed any metabolic or structural abnormalities of the brain. We conclude that chloral hydrate could be useful in the treatment of severe epileptic encephalopathies. Possible indications of the drug for intractable epilepsy treatment are discussed.     

Proteus syndrome associated with hemimegalencephaly and Ohtahara syndrome: report of two cases.

The authors report two cases of Brazilian children with most of the common syndromic features of Proteus syndrome, such as asymmetric overgrowth of tissues, skin abnormalities, hypotonia and mental retardation. In both patients, a refractory epilepsy, compatible with Ohtahara syndrome, as well as hemimegalencephaly, with asymmetric distribution of facial fat, were also diagnosed.     

Ohtahara syndrome: with special reference to its developmental aspects for differentiating from early myoclonic encephalopathy

Ohtahara syndrome (OS) is well known as a peculiar early onset epileptic syndrome with serious prognosis. The outline of OS, mainly in relation to the evolution with age, and differentiation from related conditions, particularly early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME) were mentioned. RESULTS: Etiologically, structural brain lesions are most probable in OS, and non-structural/metabolic disorders in EME. Clinically, tonic spasms are the main seizures in OS, while myoclonia and frequent partial motor seizures in EME. Another difference is noted in EEG findings: suppression-bursts (SB) are consistently observed in both waking and sleeping states in OS, but suppression-bursts become more apparent in sleep in EME. The course observation clarifies differences between both syndromes; SBs evolve to hypsarrhythmia around 3-4 months of age, and sometimes further to diffuse slow spike-waves in OS. In contrast, in EME suppression-bursts may persist up to late childhood after a transient evolution to hypsarryhtmia in the middle to late infancy. Transition between syndromes is also specific; OS evolves to West syndrome, and further to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome with age, but EME persists long without such evolution excepting a transient phase of West syndrome. CONCLUSION: These clinicoelectrical characteristics and differential points strongly indicate the efficiency of the developmental study to delineate both syndromes.     

Respiratory chain complex I deficiency in an infant with Ohtahara syndrome

We report an infant with complex I deficiency of the mitochondrial respiratory chain whose most conspicuous symptom at presentation was an Ohtahara syndrome. Review of the literature suggest that association of these two conditions is extremely rare. Despite the few cases reported, in our view Ohtahara syndrome should be considered as one of the forms of presentation of mitochondrial dysfunction.     

Frameshift mutations of the ARX gene in familial Ohtahara syndrome

Purpose: Ohtahara syndrome is one of the most severe and earliest forms of epilepsy and is frequently associated with brain malformations, such as hemimegalencephaly. Recently, longer expansion of the first polyalanine tract of ARX was found to be causative for Ohtahara syndrome without brain malformation, whereas premature termination mutations of ARX were found to cause severe brain malformations, such as lissencephaly or hydranencephaly. Both are designated as ARX‐related interneuronopathies. Methods: We investigated the molecular basis of Ohtahara syndrome in two families, comprising six male patients in two generations demonstrating X‐linked inheritance. Results: Novel frameshift mutations in the terminal exon of the ARX gene (Ala524fsX534 and E536fsX672) were identified in two patients (2 and 13 years, each) from both families. Two patients developed West syndrome, and one of these later developed Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all patients showed no brain malformations in contrast to the patients with a premature termination mutation in other exons of ARX. Discussion: The etiology of Ohtahara syndrome is heterogeneous; however, the molecular analysis of ARX should be considered in sporadic or familial male patients with Ohtahara syndrome.     

A novel ARX phenotype: rapid neurodegeneration with Ohtahara syndrome and a dyskinetic movement disorder

ARX mutations are associated with variable clinical phenotypes. We report a new neurodegenerative phenotype associated with a known ARX mutation and causing early abnormal neurodevelopment, a complex movement disorder, and early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with a suppression‐burst pattern (Ohtahara syndrome). A male infant presented at age 5 months with a dyskinetic movement disorder, which was initially diagnosed as infantile spasms. Clinical deterioration was accompanied by progressive cortical atrophy with a reduction in white matter volume and resulting in death in the first year of life; such a rapidly progressive and severe phenotype has not previously been described. ARX mutation testing should be undertaken in children aged less than 1 year with Ohtahara syndrome and a movement disorder, and in infants with unexplained neurodegeneration, progressive white matter loss, and cortical atrophy.     

Early periinsular hemispherotomy in children with Sturge-Weber syndrome and intractable epilepsy--outcome in eight patients

BACKGROUND: Periinsular hemispherotomy is used to treat catastrophic epilepsy in hemispheric lesions. It avoids complications of tissue resection performed in other hemispherectomy procedures. We report on the effectiveness, complications, and neurological sequelae in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS). METHODS: Eight patients (mean age at operation 15 months, mean surveillance time 7.1 years, 5 girls) were operated between 1994 and 2000, one with additional subpial resections of the insular cortex. Preoperatively hemiparesis was evident in all patients, mental retardation in six. Charts were reviewed for pre- and perioperative data. Outcome data were collected by structured telephone interview and questionnaires. RESULTS: No severe complications occurred. Five patients with unilateral angiomatosis were seizure-free without medication, rare non-disabling seizures occurred in one. Two patients with bilateral angiomatosis had seizure reduction of > 90%. Hemiparesis deteriorated in all patients with a marked deficit of hand function and less severe deficit in the lower extremity and trunk. Seven became ambulatory and achieved community language. Mental development improved with seizure control. Six patients have learning disability, two are mentally handicapped. CONCLUSION: Periinsular hemispherotomy is a valuable treatment modality in this patient group. The sequelae of hemiparesis, hemianopsia, and developmental delay must be seen in relation to the natural course in severe SWS.     

A syndrome of pathological left-handedness. Correlates of early left hemisphere injury

A pattern of correlative changes in lateralization in individuals with known or suspected brain injury recently has been advanced as the syndrome of pathological left-handedness (PLH). This syndrome, which is believed to be caused by an early left-sided cerebral lesion, may include asymmetric motor and/or trophic changes on the right side of a body part in addition to changes in higher-level cognitive processing abilities. Several clinical case studies have provided support for such a syndrome. Despite their clinical subject to inherent biases of selection. The present study was therefore designed to evaluate the PLH syndrome in a systematic fashion by using a large number of brain-injured and normal subjects. The incidence of each of the putative elements of the PLH syndrome was investigated. The results suggest that traits such as atypical cerebral speech representation, motor impairment of the nondominant hand, and hypoplasia of the right foot are salient features of the syndrome. The results are discussed with reference to clinical diagnostic implications.     

Exceptional verbal intelligence after hemispherotomy in a child with Rasmussen encephalitis

We report a longitudinal case study of a left-handed girl who underwent left hemispherotomy at 7 years for Rasmussen encephalitis (RE). Presurgical evaluation showed mild hemiparesis, no visual defect, and light neuropsychological impairment with short-term memory weakness. Language fMRI showed a right hemispheric dominance. Postoperatively, the patient exhibited right hemiplegia and hemianopsia but preserved intellectual capacities. She became seizure-free, and antiepileptic medication was discontinued. Long-term follow-up showed very high verbal intelligence at 11 years of age (VCI of 155) and improvement in working memory as well as language and reading abilities. Furthermore, a significant visuoverbal discrepancy became increasingly pronounced. Thus, early surgical treatment of epilepsy avoided the global cognitive deterioration usually associated with RE. Finally, such a high level of verbal functioning combined with low spatial reasoning with a single hemisphere provides additional information on the neurocognitive profile of children with RE after hemispherotomy.     

Unusual presentation of Sturge-Weber syndrome: Progressive megalencephaly with bilateral cutaneous and cortical involvement

The Sturge Weber syndrome is characterized by developmental delay, seizures in infancy, unilateral cutaneous lesions with ipsilateral leptomeningeal enhancement. We report an unusual presentation of Sturge Weber syndrome with bilateral port wine nevus on the trunk and face along with bilateral cortical involvement in a developmentally normal child with progressive megalencephaly.