Further observations on the treatment of infantile spasms with corticotropin.

The results of corticotropin treatment of 33 subjects with infantile spasms are reported. In 8 patients the disease was idiopathic and in 25 secondary. Among the idiopathic cases, full clinical and EEG normalization was obtained in 5. No anticonvulsants were given after the corticotropin treatment. All children have remained normal without therapy. Among the 25 secondary cases, complete normalization was obtained in one with meningioma and improvement in 15 others. The dosage of ACTH was usually 2 U/Kg/bw for 10 days and 10 U/Kg/bw on alternate days for a further 20 days. These findings indicate that therapeutic results quite similar to the most favourable reported in the literature can be obtained, with few side effects, with a low dosage and a short period of treatment with corticotropin.