All issues > Volume 47(12); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(12):1306-1311. Published online December 15, 2004.

A Clinical Study on Benign Convulsions with Mild Gastroenteritis

Jung Il JI Cho¹, Dong Wook DW Kim¹, Hyun Oh HO Jang¹, Jin Soo JS Moon¹, Seung Yeon SY Nam¹, Chong Guk CG Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Research Center, Ilsan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Goyang, Korea

Correspondence Dong Wook DW Kim ,Email: dwkim@ilsanpaik.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: 'Benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis(BCwMG)' is afebrile seizures associated with gastroenteritis without dehydration or electrolyte imbalance in young children aged almost 6 months to 3 years. Because seizures can occur repeatedly, patients can be misdiagnosed with epilepsy. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of this disease is thought to be important. This study was carried out to investigate the clinical features of the disease.
Methods
: From January, 2000 to December, 2003, 17 patients with BCwMG visited the Emergency Department, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital. We reviewed the clinical features of seizures, age and sex distribution, laboratory findings and follow-up results.
Results
: Out of 17 patients with BCwMG, 13 were boys and five girls. Of 17 patients, 14(82.4%) patients were between 1 and 2 years of age. Generalized seizure was observed in all 17 patients. The duration of seizure was between 10 seconds and 10 minutes. Mean seizure frequency was 1.9 times(range, 1-5 times). Two or more seizures occurred in 10 patients(58.8%). All patients had seizures after the onset of gastroenteritis. All episodes occurred within the first five days of gastroenteritis. Rotavirus antigen was positive in stools in eight out of 12 patients(66.7%). Thirteen patients displayed normal psychomotor development at the last follow-up. No patient exhibited a the recurrence of seizures, except for one patient who had a febrile convulsion.
Conclusion
: Our results exhibited that BCwMG is characterized by seizures that are mostly brief and generalized and a cluster of episodes in those aged 1 to 2 years. Seizures occurred within the first three days of gastroenteritis. The proportion of positive rotavirus antigen was more than half.

Keywords :Benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis, Seizure, Gastroenteritis, Rotavirus, Children