When viewing this topic in a different language, you may notice some differences in the way the content is structured, but it still reflects the latest evidence-based guidance.

Síndrome de espasmos infantis

Last reviewed: 25 Mar 2025
Last updated: 10 May 2023

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presença de fatores de risco
  • espasmos
  • movimentos verticais breves da cabeça
  • atraso ou regressão de neurodesenvolvimento
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • idade de início de 3-12 meses
  • complicação perinatal
  • movimentos oculares anormais
  • microcefalia
  • máculas hipomelanóticas (em formato de folha)
  • anormalidades do sistema motor
Full details

Risk factors

  • malformação cerebral
  • anormalidades neurocutâneas
  • evento vascular pré-natal ou perinatal
  • infecções intrauterinas ou perinatais
  • distúrbio metabólico hereditário
  • distúrbios genéticos
  • história familiar
  • trombose sinovenosa neonatal
  • lesão cerebral pós-parto
  • tumores cerebrais
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • eletroencefalograma (EEG) do sono
  • hemograma completo
  • ureia e eletrólitos
  • glicose plasmática
  • cálcio sérico
  • magnésio sérico
  • testes da função hepática
  • amônia
  • gasometria
  • lactato/piruvato no plasma
  • aminoácidos plasmáticos
  • ácidos orgânicos urinários
  • acilcarnitinas (amostras de sangue impregnado em papel filtro)
  • biotinidase
  • alfa-aminoadípica semialdeído desidrogenase (AASA) na urina
  • creatina e guanidinoacetato na urina e no plasma
  • sequenciamento de próxima geração: painel de genes/sequenciamento de exoma total/sequenciamento de genoma completo
  • hibridização genômica comparativa (CGH) em microarranjos
  • ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) cranioencefálica
Full details

Tests to consider

  • exame do líquido cefalorraquidiano (LCR)
  • testes de função tireoidiana (tiroxina livre [T4L], hormônio estimulante da tireoide [TSH])
  • glicoformas de transferrina plasmática
  • ácidos graxos de cadeia muito longa
  • cobre sérico, ceruloplasmina
  • sulfocisteína na urina
  • TC cranioencefálica
  • cultura de citomegalovírus (CMV), reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) ou sorologia
  • sorologia para toxoplasmose
  • ecocardiograma
  • ultrassonografia renal
  • exame oftalmológico
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ONGOING

todos os pacientes

Contributors

Authors

Robert Robinson, MA, MBBS, FRCP, PhD

Consultant Paediatric Neurologist

Great Ormond Street Hospital

London

UK

Disclosures

RR declares that he has no competing interests.

Sarah Buts, MD

Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Neurology

Great Ormond Street Hospital

London

UK

Disclosures

SB declares that she has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Robert Robinson and Dr Sarah Buts would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Katharina Vezyroglou, Dr Marjorie Illingworth, Dr Pradnya Gadgil, Dr Teesta Soman, and Dr Shelly Weiss, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

KV, MI, PG, TS, and SW declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Gregory L. Holmes, MD

Section Chief of Neurology

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon

NH

Disclosures

GLH declares that he has no competing interests.

Maria Roberta Cilio, MD, PhD

Attending Pediatric Neurologist

Division of Neurology

Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital

Rome

Italy

Disclosures

MRC declares that she has no competing interests.

Lionel Carmant, MD

Professor of Neurology

Department of Pediatrics

University of Montreal

Director of Epilepsy Clinic and Research Group

Saint Justine Hospital

Montreal

QC

Canada

Disclosures

LC declares that he has no competing interests.

  • Síndrome de espasmos infantis images
  • Differentials

    • Síndrome de Dravet
    • Convulsões infantis familiares benignas
    • Mioclonia noturna benigna
    More Differentials
  • Guidelines

    • Epilepsies in children, young people and adults
    • Evidence-based guideline update: medical treatment of infantile spasms
    More Guidelines
  • Patient information

    Epilepsy: questions to ask your doctor

    More Patient information
  • padlock-lockedLog in or subscribe to access all of BMJ Best Practice

Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer