Alternating hemiplegia of childhood: successful treatment with topiramate and flunarizine, a case report

• Published in: Annals of tropical paediatrics Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 149 - 152
• Main Authors: AISHWORIYA, R, Low, P S, Tay, S K H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leeds Taylor & Francis 01.05.2011; Maney
• Subjects: Alternating hemiplegia of childhood; Anticonvulsants - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; flunarizine; Flunarizine - administration & dosage; Fructose - administration & dosage; Fructose - analogs & derivatives; General aspects; Hemiplegia - drug therapy; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Nervous system as a whole; Neurology; topiramate; Treatment Outcome; Human; Pediatrics; Topiramate; Nervous system diseases; Vasodilator agent; Motor system disorder; Anticonvulsant; Flunarizine; Case study; Treatment; Hemiplegia; Tropical medicine; Neurological disorder; Child
• ISSN: 0272-4936; 1465-3281
• DOI: 10.1179/1465328111Y.0000000007

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare neurological disorder which usually presents before 18 months of age and is characterised by recurrent alternating episodes of hemiparesis. A single effective treatment for this condition is yet to be established; flunarizine is currently the most widely used but with varying degrees of success. An 18-month-old child presented with AHC and treatment with a combination of topiramate and flunarizine made a significant difference in controlling the frequency and severity of the attacks. This possibly allowed a better developmental outcome than in most children with this condition. Topiramate combined with flunarizine for treating AHC has much potential for further research.