West Syndrome and the Importance of Routine Physical Examinations and Parental Education: A Case Report

West syndrome (WS), also known as infantile spasms, is a severe form of epileptic disorder of infancy and early childhood. It was first described by William West in 1841. Children with WS exhibit a triad of myoclonic-tonic seizures (spasms), a distinct electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern known as hypsarrhythmia and psychomotor development arrest. WS is classified into three main categories as symptomatic, idiopathic and cryptogenic based on etiological factors. The long-term prognosis depends on the etiological cause, but generally has a poor prognosis, and is associated with impaired development, neurologic structural anomalies, autism spectrum disorder and death. Treatment guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology and Child Neurology Society recommend that adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and vigabatrin are possibly effective in the cessation of spasms and hypsarrhythmia. We report an incidental diagnosis of WS in a six-month-old male baby that went to the Pediatric Emergency Department due to upper respiratory tract symptoms. The diagnosis was made after the development of spasms during a medical examination. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis, parental education and prompt effective treatment as it may improve prognosis.