Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Felipe Guevara Rojas
Hospital, El Tigre-Anzoátegui, Venezuela | Department of Epilepsy and Encephalography Unit, El Tigre, Anzoátegui, Venezuela | Department of Pediatrics, Health Sciences School "Dr.
Francisco Battistini Casalta", Universidad de Oriente, Ciudad
Bolívar, Bolívar, Venezuela
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Jos¨¦ Guevara Campos, Calle 26
sur c/c 7ma carrera. El Tigre, Anzoátegui, 6050, Venezuela. Tel.: +58
02832411952; Fax: +58 02832410349; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The clinical significance of occipital intermittent rhythmic delta
activity (OIRDA) on the electroencephalogram (EEG) has not been fully
established. Over the years, it has been suggested that the interpretation of
the OIRDA electroencephalographic pattern may be related to metabolic problems,
structural lesions, infections and epilepsy. Recent studies suggested that this
pattern occurs almost exclusively in children and is probably of epileptic
origin in most case. It has been associated with primary generalized epilepsy
syndromes, such as childhood absence. An 8-year-old schoolgirl, attending the
3rd grade, with easy distractibility, inattention, low school performance,and
microcephaly is described. EEG was performed awake during hyperventilation
revealed occipital intermittent rhythmic delta with a frequency of 3 Hz,
bilateral and synchronous, with 2nd and 4th sec of duration. Antiepileptic
therapy with valproic acid was begun. After being treated for 8 months, no
OIRDA was detected on follow up EEG. The presence of OIRDA activity on EEG in a
child should alert us to the presence of absence epilepsy.
