Successful treatment of early myoclonic encephalopathy using lidocaine and carbamazepine

Epileptic Disord. 2013 Sep;15(3):352-7. doi: 10.1684/epd.2013.0593.

Abstract

We report two female infants with early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME) whose intractable focal seizures were suppressed with lidocaine and carbamazepine (CBZ). Although EME is a form of early-onset epileptic encephalopathy characterised by myoclonus and focal seizures that are highly resistant to treatment, lidocaine and CBZ may prove effective in treating this disorder. Future studies should be performed in order to determine whether there are common specific mechanisms of seizure generation related to the sodium channel in these patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics, Local / therapeutic use*
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Carbamazepine / therapeutic use*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / drug therapy
  • Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / etiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lidocaine / therapeutic use*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Seizures / drug therapy
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Spasm / etiology
  • Spasms, Infantile / drug therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Carbamazepine
  • Lidocaine

Supplementary concepts

  • Epileptic Encephalopathy, Early Infantile, 3