All issues > Volume 37(11); 1994

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1994;37(11):1600-1606. Published online November 15, 1994.

EEG Abnormalities in Henoch-Schölein Purpura

Hae Wom HW Cheon¹, Dong Gun DG Park¹, Kee Hwan KH Yoo¹, Joo Won JW Lee¹, Soon Kyum SK Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Schölein-Henoch purpura is a generalized small vessel vasculitis characterized by non-thrombocytopenic purpura, arthritis, abdominal pain and nephritis. In 1913 Osler described an allergic purpura associated with hemiplegia. After then Lewis et al. Reported the cases of Schölein-Henoch purpura associated with convulsion, coma, confusion, intracranial hemorrhage, and chorea, CNS complication has been reported in 1-8% of children and subsided spontaneously in most cases. Headache is a remarkable symptom and appears nonspecific nature. In 1991 Ostergaard and Storm reported that headache occured during the first week following skin rash and frequently showed abnormal EEG findings. We investigated prospectively the presence of a possible cerebral and renal involvement in the case of Schölein-Henoch purpura. EEG abnormality demonstrated in 52.6% of all cases, and headache or irritability in 47.4% of all cases. A significant association was found between abnormal EEG finding and presence of headache, but was not found between EEG findings and presence of renal involvement and hypertension. Patients with abnormal EEG had no past or family history of febrile convulsion or idiopathic epilepsy.

Keywords :Henoch-Schölein purpura, Headache, EEG abnormality