Abnormal EEG and seizures during illness

[Christi]

My 4 1/2 year old daughter has suffered from her second seizure in less than a year.  In March 2000, she was not feeling well.  She was taking med. containing codine.  One evening, we were on the floor playing a very familiar game.  She became unusually confused and did not know how to play.  I assumed the codine was making her "woozy."  She stood up and seemed aggitated.  She told me to take something from her hand.  She had nothing.  She walked into the wall.  She began to act as if she would vomit.  I picked her up.  She was rigid and her breathing was shallow.  I laid her on the bed and dialed 911.  At this time I noticed her staring, fixated on one spot and mild twitching in her hands.  She had a fever between 101 - 102.  Doctors chalked this up as possible febrile seizure or reaction to codine.

Last month she had an almost identical seizure.  Again it happened during illness and the onset of a mild fever (101).  The only things absent this time were codine and hallucinations.  She had no memory of the seizure, but the memory may have come back to her.  Her pediatrician ordered an EEG and the results were abnormal.  The earliest appt. we could get with a ped. neurologist is in 4 months!  The results of the EEG are as follows: Waking and drowsy state record.  Well developed 9/sec. of high voltage seen symmetrically in post. regions during allertness.  Low voltage fast forms seen frontally.  At times...sudden appearance of mod. to high voltage 4-5/sec. spike wave complexes without preceding spikes.  No lateralized slow wave abnormalities, no focal paroxysmal disturbances, no abnormality with photic stimulation.  What type of seizure is she having?  What does this EEG indicate?  What's the long-term prognosis?  Do you think things will get better or worse with time?  We are so worried.  

She also suffers from inconinence and a lazy eye, not the wondering kind. The incontinence is unsuccessfully being treated.  She "leaks" all day long.  The lazy eye is also not successfully being treated.  She wore a patch, but we believe she has regressed.  Her lazy eye was visibly smaller at birth to a couple of months old.  A vision screening later found she was not using the eye.  Could her problems be neurologically related?

Otherwise, she is a normal, beautiful child.  She reached all developmental stages on time, and suffered no brain injury that we know of.  Any input would be so much appreciated.  Four months is too long to wait!  

[CCF Neuro[P]-M.D.-RPS]

Dear Chisti:

Sorry to hear about your daughter.  It sounds like it might be seizure activity.  It is unusual for a youngster to begin to have febrile convulsions beginning at age 4, but not unheard of.  Concerning the EEG, I am not sure of what they are calling abnormal, it the sudden onset of theta waves without spikes might very well be hypnagogic activity or transition between awake and sleep or visa vesa.  This is normal for children.  Since there were no focal features or generalized slowing, the EEG might in fact be normal.  At this point, I would watch for fever and treat very vigorously with tylenol to keep her fever down.  I might also repeat the EEG with a longer recording time and sleep deprive before.  Did they try and hyperventillate and photostimulate her druing the EEG?  I probably would also not start medications at this point.  But these are my opinions and would defer to your pediatric epileptologist.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Christi]

I forgot to add the EEG interpretation: "Abnormal EEG suggesting potentially epileptogenic involvement without a discrete cortical focus".

[carolynr]

Your child's lazy eye, my daughter had the same situation from birth. She is now 34, and still has it.  She also developed dyslexia and other problems.  But no seizures. I wanted you to know, they probably are not related.  Thanks and God bless you.

[Toni]

My 2 year old daughter is having some of the same symptoms.It all started about 2 months ago. She never ran a fever during any of her epidsodes. She first started voimting (alot). Then very leathrgic,rapid eye movement (like she was spinning)then they would roll back in her head. Her left eye was then stuck turn in to the right. I took her to ER. She was addmitted to the hospital to run more test Oh her eyes were also dielated.All her blood work came back normal. CT and MRI all normal. They even did a spinal tap still normal.After 3 days in the hospital she could finally keep liquids down and sit up on her own by day 4 she would then stand on her own. The doctors decided it must of been a virus. Until it happened again 4 weeks later this time it last 24 hours and again 5 days later this time only lasting 4 hours.So my PCP requested to have an EEG done. This showed abnormal right side.I have an apponitment with a neurologist,but its a month away and I need answers now.Is this just partial seizures or could they have missed something in the MRI?

[Christi]

I know how worried you are!  I don't understand so many things myself.  I don't know what type of seizure your daughter had.  I don't even understand what type my daughter had.  I'll say a prayer for you.

[Toni]

Christi,
Thanks for your prayers. When I find out more I let you know.
                 Toni

[brendaf71]

my daughter is 11 weeks old and has been having seizures since she was 8 weeks old.  they were very infrequent at first, but last week she started averaging about 7 a day.  she has had two EEGs...one normal, the other abnormal.  with the second one, she actually had a seizure as they were hooking her up to the machine, so they only saw what was happening on the left side of the brain during the seizure.  she will be going in for an MRI this week, so God willing, we will have some answers.  a brief ultrasound showed some abnormality with her right ventricle in her brain (slightly larger, and different shape than the left side).  since birth, her left pupil is larger than the right, especially following seizure activity.  currently she is being treated with phenobarbitol, but she continues to have seizures.  it's very scary, but as i said before, hopefully we will have some answers soon.  good luck to you in regards to finding answers concerning your child....it's hard to see them go through this.

brenda

[Toni]

Brenda I'm so sorry to here about your baby. I'll pray for you.I just found out what my daugther has. She was dianosed with autonomic seizures (abdominal seizures)A good web site with seizure disorders is www.kid-power.com/seizures.html

[jackmary]

I had a second grand mal seizure, 15 years after surgery. To save the details, I have found it difficult to find out what may have caused this event.  After CAT scans, MRI, and most recently an EEG - my Dr has advised that the EEG showed 'no seizure activity and had a "quiet" area - which is consistent with the effects of my earlier surgery'.  Ok, here's the discussion item,,has anyone ever had the term 'quiet' or 'silent' area explained to them?

thanks