Question

After my daughter was born, she would often cry and twitch her limbs for no apparent reason. Initially, I thought it was due to hunger, but the situation did not improve after feeding her. After a check-up, she was diagnosed with infantile spasm syndrome. Is it possible to treat this condition with surgery?

Answer

Infantile spasm syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that affects the brain, with most children showing limited effectiveness from medication. In some cases, parents may consider surgical treatment as an option. However, not all cases of infantile spasm syndrome are suitable for surgery. The criteria for surgery include:

  1. Seizures primarily characterized by nodding or falling.
  2. Clear lesions shown on brain MRI scans.
  3. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showing high synchronicity of seizures in both hemispheres of the brain. Patients who do not meet these criteria may not be the best candidates for surgical treatment.