Characterisation of the paediatric population of Costa Rica with tuberous sclerosis and a description of the behaviour of the associated epilepsy
*Correspondencia: Dra. Adriana Ulate Campos. Servicio de Neurología. Hospital Nacional de Niños Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera. Paseo de Colón, s/n. San José, Costa Rica.
E-mail: adrianaulate@hotmail.com
INTRODUCTION Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a pathology with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance that is due to a disorder affecting cell differentiation and proliferation that produces hamartomas in different organs. Its variable forms affect the central nervous system, the kidneys, the skin and other organs. No studies have been conducted on its prevalence and behaviour in the paediatric population of Costa Rica. AIMS. To characterise the paediatric population with TS in Costa Rica and to describe the behaviour of its epilepsy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS The study analyses prevalence based on a review of the clinical records of all the patients under 18 years of age diagnosed with TS treated at the National Children’s Hospital over the period 2000-2010.
RESULTS During the period under study a total of 37 patients were included for a prevalence of 3.09 per 100,000 live births (95% confidence interval = 1.88-4.31). No significant differences were observed according to sex. The mean age at diagnosis was 14 months. The most frequent major criteria were hypomelanotic macules (97.3%), facial angiofibromas (56%) and cortical tuberomas (54.1%). Thirty-five patients presented convulsions (95%). The treatments that achieved a reduction in the number of seizures of at least 50% were vigabatrine (16.2%) and epilepsy surgery (16.2%).
CONCLUSIONS All patients with epilepsy should be submitted to a thorough examination of the skin, since skin lesions are a very frequent finding in TS. Epilepsy in TS is pharmacoresistant in a large number of patients, and vigabatrine must be considered as first-line pharmacological treatment.
Objetivos Caracterizar la población pediátrica costarricense con ET y describir el comportamiento de su epilepsia.
Pacientes y métodos Estudio de prevalencias basado en la revisión de expedientes clínicos de todos los pacientes menores de 18 años con diagnóstico de ET seguidos en el Hospital Nacional de Niños durante el período 2000-2010.
Resultados Durante el período de estudio se incluyeron 37 pacientes para una prevalencia de 3,09 por 100.000 nacidos vivos (intervalo de confianza al 95% = 1,88-4,31). No se presentaron diferencias significativas por sexo. La mediana de edad al diagnóstico fue de 14 meses. Los criterios mayores más frecuentes fueron manchas hipomelanóticas (97,3%), angiofibromas faciales (56%) y tuberomas corticales (54,1%). Treinta y cinco pacientes presentaron convulsiones (95%). Los tratamientos que lograron reducción de al menos un 50% de las crisis convulsivas fueron la vigabatrina (16,2%) y la cirugía de epilepsia (16,2%).
Conclusiones En todo paciente con epilepsia debe realizarse una valoración minuciosa de la piel, ya que las lesiones en la piel son un hallazgo muy frecuente en la ET. La epilepsia en la ET es farmacorresistente en un elevado número de pacientes y la vigabatrina debe valorarse como tratamiento farmacológico de primera línea.
