Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K S Krishnamoorthy.
The steps to be taken in the management of GTC status are outlined in Table 2. Once the GTC status is brought under control, prevention of recurrent seizures must be considered. The specific etiology must be sought. Those patients who require long-term prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy include those with structural brain abnormalities, progressive neurological disorders, and patients with idiopathic epilepsy.
Recent reports, which described early computed tomography findings of unsuspected cerebral arterial infarctions in term newborns who presented with seizures, prompted a review of our neonatal intensive care unit records. Seven newborns demonstrated arterial infarctions by computed tomography. Five of the 7 had focal motor seizures and 2 had generalized seizures. Electroencephalograms of 6 infants correlated with the area of infarct, mainly disclosing focal spike- and/or sharp-wave activity. All infarcts involved the territory of the middle cerebral arteries and all were evident on initial scans. Subsequent examinations at age 12 months to 9 years demonstrated 4 children with spastic hemiparesis, and 3 children with normal neurologic examinations. Neonatal cerebral arterial infarction is a distinct entity which should be recognized and should be included in the differential diagnosis of neonatal seizures, regardless of the presenting symptoms or predisposing factors.