Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases in childhood and adolescence. Carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproate (VPA) have been widely used as the first generation of antiepileptic drugs (AED). Aim: The aim of the study has been to evaluate and compare the effect of CBZ and VPA monotherapy on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) serum levels in children. Material and methods: The study has included 100 patients (boys 57/girls 43, age range 1 to 18 years), who have been treated with CBZ or VPA, as initial monotherapy, for at least 12 months. Patients with liver lesions or patients who have been treated with other drugs have been excluded from the study. The initial serum enzyme levels (AST, ALT and GGT) and after 12 months of treatment have been compared. Results: 53/100 (53%) patients have been treated with CBZ and 47/100 (47%) patients have been treated with VPA.The initial level of enzymes were within the referece range. After one year-long treatment AST was elevated at 4/53 (7.5%) CBZ patients and 9/47 (19.15%) VPA patients (x2 test =3.965, p<0.05). ALT was elevated at 5/53 (9.4%) CBZ patients and 9/47 (19.15%) VPA patients (x2 test =6.953, p<0.05). GGT was elevated at 18/53 (34%) CBZ patients and 7/47 (14.9%) VPA patients (x2 test =4.831, p<0.05). Conclusion: The levels of enzymes AST and ALT have been elevated statistically significant in VPA group and GGT in CBZ group.

Introduction: Unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (US CP) is the second most common subtype of cerebral palsy. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze neuroimaging findings in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Material and methods: The study was hospital based, which has included 106 patients with US CP (boys 72/girls 34, term 82/preterm 24). Neuroimaging findings were classified into 5 groups: Brain maldevelopment, predominant white matter injury, predominant gray matter injury, non specific findings and normal neuroimaging findings. Results: Predominant white matter lesions where the most frequent (48/106,45.28%; term 35/preterm 13), without statistically significant difference between term and preterm born children (x2=0.4357; p=0.490517). Predominant gray matter lesions had 32/106 children, 30.19%; (term 25/preterm 7, without statistically significant difference between term and preterm born children (x2=0.902; p=0.9862). Brain malformations had 10/106 children, 9.43%, and all of them were term born. Other finding had 2/106 children, 1.89%, both of them were term born. Normal neuroimaging findings were present in14/106 patients (13.21%). Conclusion: Neuroimaging may help to understand morphological background of motor impairment in children with US CP. Periventricular white matter lesions were the most frequent, then gray matter lesions.

Introduction: Plasmapheresis also known as a therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is extracorporeal procedure by which individual components of plasma that are harmful or blood cells can be removed from organism by using a blood separation technology. Aim: To present the results of the implementation of plasmapheresis in children in the Department of Pediatric Intensive Care of Pediatric Clinic, Clinical center of Sarajevo University, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Patients and methods: Research (period from December 2011 to June 2016) analyzed 66 plasmapheresis (11 patients–6 plasmapheresis per patient). Results: Out of 11 patients, 7 (63.6%) were girls and 4 (36.4%) were boys. The average age of patients was 11.6 ± 3.9 years (the youngest patient had 4 years and 7 months, while the oldest had 16 years and 10 months). Plasmapheresis were significantly more often done in the winter and summer. Underlying disease was in 54.5% of cases of neurological origin. The treatment was in form of receiving IVIG in 7 patients, or the application of mechanical ventilation in 6 patients. The most common complication was hypotension, which occurred in 45.5% of patients, followed by bleeding in 36.3%, hypercoagulability in 27.2% of patients and hematoma in 27.2% of patients. Lethal outcome occurred in 3 (27.2%) patients. Conclusion: Plasmapheresis represents an invasive method due to need for placement of centralized venous catheter that provides adequate blood flow during the procedure. Although complications can be serious, they are rare and are mainly related to the presence of central venous catheter, hemostasis disorders due to use of anticoagulant therapy, and hypotension of the cardiovascular system. It should be noted that for success of plasmapheresis in children multidisciplinary approach is necessary (children’s nephrologist, neuropediatrician, intensive care doctor) as well as well-trained team of doctors and nurses with the acquired knowledge and skills.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic indicators for mortality in neonates with seizures in a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Patients and methods: A cohort of 100 neonates with clinically manifested seizures hospitalized in the NICU during 4 years period was prospectively monitored for the first year of life. The cohort consisted of 33 preterm and 67 full-term babies with 60 male and 40 female infants. Results: The mortality rate in the first year of life of infants with seizures in the neonatal period was 23%. The most common cause of seizures was birth asphyxia for full-term infants and intra-periventricular hemorrhage for preterm infants. Death was more common in pre-term than term infants (p <0,005). Simple regression demonstrated statistically significant associations between death in the first year of life and a cluster of highly associated variables: resuscitation (p<0, 01), mechanical ventilation (p<0,01) and asphyxia (p<0,05). This cluster of variables significantly correlates with: gestational age (p<0, 05), birth weight (p<0, 05) and intracranial hemorrhage (p<0, 05). Conclusion: In this cohort of neonates with seizures asphyxia requiring neonatal resuscitation was the primary risk factor for death.

Objective : There is a growing awareness of the developmental importance of distinguishing complex from simplex febrile seizures (FS) in early childhood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between risk factors and clinical characteristics of simple and complex febrile seizures. Methods : We assessed risk factors and clinical features of febrile seizures in all children who were admitted to the Pediatric Clinic with the diagnosis of FS from January 2010 to January 2012. Two hundred and ten children having a history of FS were evaluated for age at onset of FS, age of repeated FS, total number of FS in the past, family history of FS and epilepsy. The febrile seizures were classified as simple and complex. Results : Compared with children with simple FS, complex FS were associated with more seizures in the past (OR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.70, p=0.003). Furthermore, family history of FS increased the odds of repeated seizures within 24h (adjusted OR=2.98, 95% CI: 1.14, 7.79, p=0.026). Similarly, family history of epilepsy increased the odds of repeated FS within 24h (adjusted OR=6.20, 95% CI: 1.01, 39.4, p=0.049). Conclusion : Our study showed that higher number of FS in the past might be associated with complex FS. Our findings also show that early detection of repeated seizures within 24h in children with family history of FS and epilepsy might be a gateway to improve early diagnosis of epilepsy. However, larger prospective study with parent’s involvement in FS detection are needed. Keywords : febrile seizures, classification, prognosis, epilepsy, children

Introduction: Neuroprotective benefit of therapeutic hypothermia in term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) was assessed by analyzing survival and neurodevelopmental outcome of neonates subjected to this procedure. Material and methods: Newborns with gestational age > 36 weeks and < 6 hours of age with moderate to severe asphyxial encephalopathy underwent cooling protocol at a temperature of 33.5 °C for 72 hours and rewarming period of 6 hours. Outcome measures assessed were death and neurodevelopmental characteristics, which were compared at the different age using ASQ-3. Twenty-five children were assessed at age 3-6, 12-18 and 24-36 months. Median gestational age was 40 weeks, birth weight 3470 g, Apgar score 2/4 and pH on admission to the hospital 7.02. Four (16%) children died. Results: At the first assessment developmental categories of communication were normal in 78.9%, problem solving in 63.2%, personal-social in 68.4%, gross motor in 68.4%, and fine motor in 42.1% with a high need of retesting in this area. Second assessment was done in 17 patients: developmental categories of communication normal in 58.8%, problem solving in 70.6%, personal-social in 64.7%, gross motor in 64.7%, and fine motor in 35.3%. Third evaluation was done in 14 patients: developmental categories of communication were normal in 64.3%, problem solving in 71.4%, personal-social in 57.1%, gross motor in 64.3%, and fine motor in 42.9%. Conclusion: There was no correlation between baseline parameters and outcome. Results of the study are showing that therapeutic hypothermia in term newborns can provide better survival and less neurologic sequels in HIE patients.

Introduction: Neuroimaging procedures and electroencephalography (EEG) are basic parts of investigation of patients with epilepsies. Aim: The aim is to try to assess relationship between bilaterally localized brain lesions found in routine management of children with newly diagnosed epilepsy and their interictal EEG findings. Patients and methods: Total amount of 68 patients filled criteria for inclusion in the study that was performed at Neuropediatrics Department, Pediatric Hospital, University Clinical Center Sarajevo, or its outpatient clinic. There were 33 girls (48,5%) and 35 boys (51,5%). Average age at diagnosis of epilepsy was 3,5 years. Results: Both neurological and neuropsychological examination in the moment of making diagnosis of epilepsy was normal in 27 (39,7%) patients, and showed some kind of delay or other neurological finding in 41 (60,3%). Brain MRI showed lesions that can be related to antenatal or perinatal events in most of the patients (ventricular dilation in 30,9%, delayed myelination and post-hypoxic changes in 27,9%). More than half of patients (55,9%) showed bilateral interictal epileptiform discharges on their EEGs, and further 14,7% had other kinds of bilateral abnormalities. Frequency of bilateral epileptic discharges showed statistically significant predominance on level of p<0,05. Cross tabulation between specific types of bilateral brain MRI lesions and EEG finding did not reveal significant type of EEG for assessed brain lesions. Conclusion: We conclude that there exists relationship between bilaterally localized brain MRI lesions and interictal bilateral epileptiform or nonspecific EEG findings in children with newly diagnosed epilepsies. These data are suggesting that in cases when they do not correlate there is a need for further investigation of seizure etiology.