Hormonal therapy is the first-line treatment for infantile spasms and is sometimes used in combination with topiramate for better seizure control and potentially improved developmental outcomes. Retrospective review of pediatric patients with infantile spasms, with data compiled on patient sex, age at onset, etiology, electroencephalographic and imaging findings, topiramate use, spasm resolution (at one, six, and 12 months), and developmental outcome (at 12 months). Of 105 patients screened, 55 (28 female) met inclusion criteria (28 [51%] had spasms with known etiology and 27 [49%] had spasms with unknown etiology). Forty-six patients were followed for 12 months or longer to determine seizure outcome; a 12-month developmental assessment was documented for 49 patients. Thirty-seven patients (67%) received combination therapy; 18 (33%) received hormonal therapy alone. Resolution of spasms was comparable among treatment groups, with no difference relative to spasm etiology (p>0.18 for all). No difference was found in developmental outcomes with and without adjunct topiramate (p=0.38). Combination therapy was the most common treatment at our institution. However, combination therapy was not found to be beneficial for the treatment of spasms or developmental outcomes when compared to hormonal therapy alone.
Keywords: West syndrome; adrenocorticotropic hormone; epileptic spasms; infantile spasms; prednisolone; topiramate.