Journal of pediatric neurosciences
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Traumatic head injury is a common cause of mortality and acquired disability in infants and children. However, patterns and outcome of head injury in infants are different from other age groups. ⋯ Infants suffered significant brain injury due to fall. Traumatic brain injury in infants generally carries good outcome. Severe head injury was observed to be a predictor of poor outcome.
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Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used as an anti-epileptic drug. The primary mechanism of VPA toxicity is interference with mitochondrial beta-oxidation, and it can exacerbate an underlying mitochondrial cytopathy. We report a case of Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes unmasked by use of Sodium Valproate in a 12-year-old boy who presented with headache and seizures. There was precipitation of encephalopathy, myopathy, lactic acidosis, and hepatic damage within two days of valproate use, after withdrawing of which there was a remarkable clinical and biochemical recovery.