Otistik çocuklarda ne zaman EEG ve kraniyal MRG istiyoruz?

Otistik çocuklarda ne zaman EEG ve kraniyal MRG istiyoruz? Amaç: Bu çalışma otistik çocuklarda görülebilecek nörolojik bozuklukları değerlendirme ve tanılamada elektroensefalografi (EEG), kraniyal manyetik rezonans görüntülemenin (kMRG) yeri ve tetkik amacıyla nasıl kullanıldığını araştırmak amacıyla planlandı. Yöntem: Hastanemiz kliniklerine Ocak 2010-Ocak 2011 yılları arasında, başvuran 3-18 yaşları arasında toplam 121 otistik çocuk çalışmaya alındı. Hastalara ait sosyodemografik özellikler, doğum zamanı, doğum öyküsü, doğum kilosu, yürüme zamanı, dil gelişim basamakları sorgulandı. kMRG, uyku EEG ve diğer tetkikleri yeniden değerlendirilerek varsa ilave nörolojik tanıları not edildi. kMRG/EEG çekilen ve çekilmeyen çocuklar ayrı ayrı ilave nörolojik tanılar ve nörolojik hastalık için bazı risk faktörleri açısından istatiksel olarak karşılaştırıldı. Ayrıca kMRG ve EEG bulgularının ilave nörolojik bozukluk varlığı ile ilişkisi araştırıldı.Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 9.3±4.2 yaşındaki otistik olguların (Erkek/Kadın: 92/76) %40'ına ek nörolojik tanı kondu. Epileptik nöbet varlığı %33 ile otizme eşlik eden en sık nörolojik bozukluktu. Olguların %34'ünde EEG, %22'sinde kMRG tetkikinin yapılmış olması ek nörolojik bozukluk araştırılmasında bir bilgi vermemiştir. kMRG'de patoloji görülmesi serebral palsi hastalarında yüksek oranda iken, epileptik nöbet geçiren hastalarda anlamlı bulunmadı. Nörolojik hastalık için risk faktörleri incelendiğinde, kMRG istenen olgularda doğumunda sorun tanımlanması ve yürüme bozukluğu, kMRG istenmemiş çocuklardan istatiksel olarak anlamlı oranda daha fazla tespit edildi. Yürümeye başlama yaşı kMRG tetkiki istenen olgularda (18±8 ay) istenmeyen olgulara (14±4 ay) göre daha geç bulundu. Sonuç: Otistik çocuk grubumuzda kMRG ve EEG tetkiki ek nörolojik bozuklukların araştırılmasında yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Ancak doğumda sorun tanımlanması durumunda her iki tetkikin daha sık istendiği görülmüştür. Ayrıca preterm doğumun EEG istenmesi; yürümenin geç ve sorunlu olmasının kMRG istenmesi için risk faktörü olarak görüldüğü tespit edilmiştir. Otistik çocuklarda klinik olarak daha ayrıntılı değerlendirmenin yapılması ve istem ölçütlerinin netleşmesi ile gereksiz EEG ve kMRG tetkiklerinin yapılmasının önlenebileceği düşünülmektedir.When do we recommend an EEG and cranial MRI evaluation for autistic children? Objective: This study has planned to investigate the role of electroencephalography (EEG) and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) in the evaluation and diagnosis of neurological disorders combined with autism in children.Method: A total number of 121 autistic children ranging from 3 to 18 years of age and who had applied to our hospital's clinics between January 2010 and January 2011 were included. The sociodemographic properties, time of birth, birth history, weight at birth, age at onset of walking and language development were investigated. By means of a reevaluation of cMRI, sleep EEG and other examination findings, additional neurological diagnoses, if any were recorded. Children for whom, a cMRI/ EEG evaluation was carried out and for whom such an evaluation was not carried out was compared statistically as to certain risk factors separately for additional diagnoses and neurological disorders. In addition, the relationship between cMRI and EEG findings and additional neurological disorder was examined.Results: Autistic children (Male/Female: 92/76) aged 9.30±4.2 years have been diagnosed neurological disorder additionally with a percentage of 40%. The most common of these was the epileptic seizure as 33%. No data was obtained about an additional neurological disorder in 22% of cases who performed cMRI and in 34% of cases who performed EEG. Ratio of presence of a pathological finding in cMRI was high in patients with cerebral palsy, whereas it was not found to be meaningful in patients with epileptic seizures. Analyzing risk factors for neurological disease, birth history of perinatal problems and gait disorders were seen more frequently in patients who required cMRI as compared to those in patients who did not require cMRI. Gait age was older in patients who required cMRI (18±8 months) as compared to patients without cMRI (14±4 months). Conclusion: In our autistic children, cMRI and EEG examinations had been extensively used for the investigation of additional neurological disorders. Both cMRI and EEG examinations had been requested more frequent in the presence of perinatal problems. The other risk factors for additional neurological disorders were history of premature birth to request EEG and older age at onset of walking, walking problems to request cMRI. However with detailed clinic evaluation of autistic children and clarification for investigations criteria unnecessary EEG and cMRI should be avoided

Acute flaccid myelitis outbreak through 2016-2018: A multicenter experience from Turkey

Aim: We aim to describe the demographic characteristics, etiology, neurophysiology, imaging findings, treatment, prognosis, and prognostic factors of acute flaccid myelitis. Methods: The clinical data, laboratory test and, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of pediatric patients diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis according to the Centers for Disease Control criteria between August 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018, from 13 centers in Turkey were reviewed. Results: Of the 34 cases identified, 31 were confirmed (91.2%). Eighteen patients (55.9%) were boys. The median patient age was 4 years (interquartile range 2.5–6.9 years). Most of the patients were admitted in 2018 (n = 27). A preceding history of a febrile illness was reported in all patients, with a median of 4 days (interquartile range 3–7 days) before symptom onset. Thirty-one patients had T2 hyperintensity on spinal MRI, and 18 patients had cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. The most common infectious agents were entero/rhinoviruses (n = 5) in respiratory specimens. All patients except one received immunotherapy either alone or in combination. Among 27 patients with follow-up data 24 had persistent weakness. Involvement of four limbs together with an abnormal brain MRI at onset were associated with a poor prognosis. Conclusion: The number of patients with acute flaccid myelitis increased since 2012, spiking with every 2-year interval, largely in the pediatric population. The median age decreases with every outbreak. Clinicians should be aware of the clinical picture for early collection of specimens and early start of rehabilitation programs. Further studies are needed to better characterize the etiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, and treatment of this rare condition

Re-examining the characteristics of pediatric multiple sclerosis in the era of antibody-associated demyelinating syndromes.

Background: The discovery of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG and anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-IgG and the observation on certain patients previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) actually have an antibody-mediated disease mandated re-evaluation of pediatric MS series. Aim: To describe the characteristics of recent pediatric MS cases by age groups and compare with the cohort established before 2015. Method: Data of pediatric MS patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 were collected from 44 pediatric neurology centers across Turkiye. Clinical and paraclinical features were compared between patients with dis-ease onset before 12 years (earlier onset) and >= 12 years (later onset) as well as between our current (2015-2021) and previous (< 2015) cohorts. Results: A total of 634 children (456 girls) were enrolled, 89 (14%) were of earlier onset. The earlier-onset group had lower female/male ratio, more frequent initial diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), more frequent brainstem symptoms, longer interval between the first two attacks, less frequent spinal cord involvement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and lower prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-restricted oligoclonal bands (OCBs). The earlier-onset group was less likely to respond to initial disease-modifying treatments. Compared to our previous cohort, the current series had fewer patients with onset < 12 years, initial presentation with ADEM-like features, brainstem or cerebellar symptoms, seizures, and spinal lesions on MRI. The female/male ratio, the frequency of sensorial symptoms, and CSF-restricted OCBs were higher than reported in our previous cohort. Conclusion: Pediatric MS starting before 12 years was less common than reported previously, likely due to exclusion of patients with antibody-mediated diseases. The results underline the importance of antibody testing and indicate pediatric MS may be a more homogeneous disorder and more similar to adult-onset MS than previously thought