Biomaterial Database

Infantile spasms associated with theophylline toxicity. 1995

M D Shields, and E M Hicks, and D F Macgregor, and S Richey

Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Northern Ireland.

We report on a 6-month-old infant with asthma who developed spasms and hypsarrhythmia on the electroencephalogram (EEG) shortly after starting oral theophylline medication. Theophylline levels at that time were just above the upper normal range. The spasms stopped and the EEG normalized when theophylline was discontinued and nitrazepam therapy started. On follow-up over the next 3 years there was no recurrence of seizures and the child's neurodevelopment has been normal. Nitrazepam was stopped at 10 months and the waking and sleeping EEG were normal at 14 months. We believe that the infantile spasms were caused by theophylline.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D012135	Respiratory Sounds	Noises, normal and abnormal, heard on auscultation over any part of the RESPIRATORY TRACT.	Breathing Sounds,Crackles,Lung Sounds,Pleural Rub,Rales,Rhonchi,Stridor,Wheezing,Breathing Sound,Crackle,Lung Sound,Pleural Rubs,Rale,Respiratory Sound,Rhonchus,Rub, Pleural,Sound, Breathing,Sound, Lung,Sound, Respiratory,Sounds, Breathing,Sounds, Lung,Stridors,Wheezings
D004569	Electroencephalography	Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain.	EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013036	Spasms, Infantile	An epileptic syndrome characterized by the triad of infantile spasms, hypsarrhythmia, and arrest of psychomotor development at seizure onset. The majority present between 3-12 months of age, with spasms consisting of combinations of brief flexor or extensor movements of the head, trunk, and limbs. The condition is divided into two forms: cryptogenic (idiopathic) and symptomatic (secondary to a known disease process such as intrauterine infections; nervous system abnormalities; BRAIN DISEASES, METABOLIC, INBORN; prematurity; perinatal asphyxia; TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS; etc.). (From Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, pp744-8)	Cryptogenic Infantile Spasms,Hypsarrhythmia,Infantile Spasms,Jackknife Seizures,Nodding Spasm,Salaam Seizures,Spasmus Nutans,Symptomatic Infantile Spasms,West Syndrome,Cryptogenic West Syndrome,Lightning Attacks,Salaam Attacks,Symptomatic West Syndrome,Attack, Lightning,Attacks, Lightning,Attacks, Salaam,Cryptogenic Infantile Spasm,Hypsarrhythmias,Infantile Spasm,Infantile Spasm, Cryptogenic,Infantile Spasm, Symptomatic,Infantile Spasms, Cryptogenic,Infantile Spasms, Symptomatic,Jackknife Seizure,Lightning Attack,Nodding Spasms,Seizure, Jackknife,Seizures, Jackknife,Seizures, Salaam,Spasm, Cryptogenic Infantile,Spasm, Nodding,Spasm, Symptomatic Infantile,Spasms, Cryptogenic Infantile,Spasms, Nodding,Spasms, Symptomatic Infantile,Symptomatic Infantile Spasm,Syndrome, Cryptogenic West,Syndrome, Symptomatic West,Syndrome, West,West Syndrome, Cryptogenic,West Syndrome, Symptomatic
D013806	Theophylline	A methyl xanthine derivative from tea with diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, bronchial dilation, cardiac and central nervous system stimulant activities. Theophylline inhibits the 3',5'-CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE PHOSPHODIESTERASE that degrades CYCLIC AMP thus potentiates the actions of agents that act through ADENYLYL CYCLASES and cyclic AMP.	1,3-Dimethylxanthine,3,7-Dihydro-1,3-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione,Accurbron,Aerobin,Aerolate,Afonilum Retard,Aquaphyllin,Armophylline,Bronchoparat,Bronkodyl,Constant-T,Elixophyllin,Euphylong,Glycine Theophyllinate,Lodrane,Monospan,Nuelin,Nuelin S.A.,Quibron T-SR,Slo-Phyllin,Somophyllin-T,Sustaire,Synophylate,Theo Von Ct,Theo-24,Theo-Dur,Theobid,Theocin,Theoconfin Continuous,Theodur,Theolair,Theolix,Theon,Theonite,Theopek,Theophylline Anhydrous,Theophylline Sodium Glycinate,Theospan,Theostat,Theovent,Uniphyl,Uniphyllin,Uniphylline,1,3 Dimethylxanthine,Anhydrous, Theophylline,Constant T,ConstantT,Ct, Theo Von,Glycinate, Theophylline Sodium,Quibron T SR,Quibron TSR,Slo Phyllin,SloPhyllin,Sodium Glycinate, Theophylline,Somophyllin T,SomophyllinT,Theo 24,Theo Dur,Theo24,Theophyllinate, Glycine,Von Ct, Theo