All issues > Volume 47(11); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(11):1205-1209. Published online November 15, 2004.

Urine Organic Acid Analysis of Patients with Febrile Seizures

Dong Soo DS Shin¹, Gun Jun GJ Lee¹, Kyeung Ja KJ Lee¹, Won Il WI Park¹, Eun Joo EJ Bae¹, Hong Gin HG Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon, Korea

Correspondence Hong Gin HG Lee ,Email: hongjlee@hallym.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Febrile seizure, the most common seizure disorder in children between 6 months and 5 years of age, is mostly caused by viral infections, except severe CNS infection. It can also be caused by disorders in organic acid metabolism, especially accompanied by fever. Therefore we decided to investigate the relationship between children with febrile seizures and disorders in organic acid metabolism.
Methods
: We examined 54 children with febrile seizure who visited Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital Emergency Department from February 2002 to January 2004. We conducted urine organic acid analysis, CBC, urine analysis, serum ammonia and gas analysis.
Results
: Thirteen(24.1%) patients showed ketonuria, eight(14.8%) patients showed lactic aciduria and ketonuria, two(3.7%) patients showed pyruvic aciduria, and one(1.8%) showed mandelic aciduria.
Conclusion
: Twenty four of 54(44.4%) showed abnormal findings in urine organic acid analysis. Most results are ketonuria or lactic aciduria with ketonuria. They may show in fasting, severe infection or ketolytic defect(ex, 3-ketothiolase deficiency). Patients with 3-ketothiolase deficiency, can develop seizures during fever, and fasting state. Therefore further evaluation is necessary.

Keywords :Seizures, Febrile, Acetyl CoA C-Acytransferase, Amino acid metabolism, Inborn errors, Lactic acid