A longitudinal study of clinical and electroencephalographic findings in a female infant with early myoclonic encephalopathy]

We reported a female infant with early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME). She was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and laboratory features including electroencephalographic and magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings. Frequent erratic myoclonic seizures appeared since 28 days after birth and EEG showed a typical suppression-burst pattern. We administered a high-dose pyridoxal phosphate, thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue (TRH), and then ACTH, but could not control the seizures at all. With seizure types, we observed the change from erratic myoclonus to tonic spasms in series, with concomitant EEG change to hypsarhythmia at the age of 6 months. Cranial MRI revealed delayed myelination in the white matter but no brain malformation. We administered ACTH to her again and succeeded partially in the decrease of the seizure frequency, and significantly in the improvement of EEG findings. It is supposed that the responsiveness to ACTH treatment changed with age as the seizure patterns developed from erratic myoclonus to tonic spasm.