[The prognosis of convulsions in the newborn--the place of EEG in comparison with echoencephalography].

Abstract

The routine-EEG in premature and term infants with cerebral seizures and its additional information are discussed in comparison to clinical and morphological findings. The clinical, electroencephalographic and echoencephalographic data to all 29 neonates that were treated during a four years period are presented. Three of those infants died, eight of them showed pathological results during developmental and neurological follow-up. EEG's were performed during or short by after seizures. A correlation could be shown between poor prognosis and suppression of background activity consisting in inactivity, burst-suppression pattern or moderate suppression. By contrast a normal or mildly suppressed EEG correlated with good longterm prognosis. Paroxysmal discharges in the EEG were helpful in diagnosing seizures and also for prognosis of cerebral convulsions later on. The echoencephalographic findings especially mild intracranial hemorrhages and increased periventricular echogenicity had less prognostic value. The echoencephalographic follow-up showed ventricular dilatation (e vacuo) in children who later on had developmental and neurological impairment. For assessment of prognosis in premature and term babies with cerebral seizures imaging procedures (echoencephalography and CT-scan) as well as electroencephalography are of mutual importance.