Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2021.60.s3.04
Corticosteroids in the management of pediatric epilepsies
Igor Prpić
; Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology and Child Psychiatry, Referral Centre for Childhood Epilepsies and Convulsive Disorders, Rijeka, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Ines Blažeković
; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Jelena Radić Nišević
; Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology and Child Psychiatry, Referral Centre for Childhood Epilepsies and Convulsive Disorders, Rijeka, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Ivana Kolić
; Rijeka University Hospital Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology and Child Psychiatry, Referral Centre for Childhood Epilepsies and Convulsive Disorders, Rijeka, Croatia; Faculty of Health Studies, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, and cannot be
controlled with conventional antiepileptic drugs in 30% of cases. Therefore, in these cases, alternative
approach such as corticosteroid therapy (CT) is used. The aim of this study was to analyze different
types of CT used to treat drug-resistant childhood epilepsies, treated at Rijeka University Hospital
Centre during a 5-year period (2016-2020). This retrospective study included 32 patients. The following
parameters were analyzed: number of patients with a particular diagnosis, average age (in months)
at the onset of epilepsy, average epilepsy duration (in months) prior to CT, average number of antiepileptic
drugs used prior to CT, presence of changes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), presence
of comorbidities, and types of CT. The average age at the onset of epilepsy was 14 months and average
epilepsy duration prior to CT was 16 months. On average, 5 antiepileptic drugs were used prior to CT.
MRI changes were present in 53.13% and comorbidities in 81.25% of study patients. Prednisone
therapy was used in 28.13%, combined therapy with prednisone and methylprednisolone in 65.63%,
and methylprednisolone in 6.25% of patients. Study results revealed the use of CT for particular diagnosis
to differ among the centers, as well as within the same center, so it is important to highlight
the importance of reaching universal guidelines for CT therapy of childhood epilepsies.
Keywords
Epilepsy, pharmacoresistant; Corticosteroids; Guidelines
Hrčak ID:
285126
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2021.
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