Ketogenic diet therapy can improve ACTH-resistant West syndrome in Japan

Purpose: Ketogenic diet therapy (KD) has been used to treat children with refractory generalized epilepsy. We herein reported the efficacy of KD for West syndrome (WS) resistant to ACTH therapy.

Subjects: SUBJECTS, consisting of 6 patients (3 boys, 3 girls) with WS who continued to have epileptic spasms (ES) and hypsarrhythmia, received KD because other treatments including ACTH therapy failed to control WS.

Methods: We retrospectively studied the clinical details of these patients and the efficacy of KD.

Results: The mean age at the onset of epilepsy was 4 months (0-15 months). The underlying etiology consisted of lissencephaly, Down's syndrome, and focal cortical dysplasia. Hypsarrhythmia disappeared 1 month after the introduction of KD in 5 patients. The disappearance of ES was achieved in 2 patients, the frequency of ES episodes was 80% less in 3, and no change was observed in 1. Psychomotor development was promoted in 5 patients, along with improvements in ES and EEG. Gastrointestinal complications and lethargy, presumably caused by rapid ketosis, were reported as side effects in 3 patients during the first week of KD. Side effects including lethargy, anorexia, and unfavorable weight gain continued thereafter in these patients in spite of tolerance to KD.

Conclusion: KD was effective for WS resistant to ACTH therapy, although gastrointestinal side effects should be considered when introducing KD to milk-fed infants.