Journal of Pediatric Neurology 2014; 12(01): 063-066
DOI: 10.3233/JPN-140641
Case Report
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

Vitamin B12 deficiency in a child presenting with epileptic spasms

Tanju Çelik
a   Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Aycan Ünalp
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Emel Ataş Berksoy
a   Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Ünsal Yılmaz
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Gülçin Akıncı
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Orkide Güzel
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
Aysel Oztürk
b   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
› Author Affiliations

Subject Editor:
Further Information

Publication History

17 July 2013

14 November 2013

Publication Date:
30 July 2015 (online)

Abstract

Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms such as macrocytic anemia, neurodevelopmental delay or regression, cerebral atrophy, polyneuropathy, paresthesias, degeneration of spinal cord, ataxia, irritability, weakness, hypotonia, apathy, tremor, seizures, and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and dementia. However, its association with epileptic spasms has been reported in only one patient before. Thus, the role of coincidence or association remains controversial. This article presents a 10-month-old girl with B12 deficiency presenting with epileptic spasms, psychomotor regression, and suppression-burst pattern on electroencephalography. After exclusion of other causes of epileptic spasms such as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cortical malformations, or neurodegenerative diseases through extensive neuroimaging and laboratory investigations, epileptic spasms were regarded as the presenting clinical picture of underlying vitamin B12 deficiency. Epileptic spasms may be a neurologic manifestation of underlying vitamin B12 deficiency.