OBJECTIVE: To describe the etiologies of West syndrome (WS) among children followed in a rehabilitation center. METHOD: Retrospective study with emphasis in the following items: gender, age at the diagnosis of WS and its etiology. The etiologies were divided into three categories: symptomatic, cryptogenic and idiopathic. Symptomatic cases were classified as follows: pre, post and perinatal. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included. Fifty-nine were boys (62%). Mean age at the diagnosis was 4.9 (±5.0) months. There were 25 cryptogenic (26.3%), one idiopathic (1.1%) and 69 (72.6%) symptomatic cases, most of them of perinatal origin. CONCLUSION: Our findings are in agreement with the literature. In the future, as our knowledge in the field of WS and its diagnostic methods increase, there will be a small number of cryptogenic and idiopathic cases.
West syndrome; epilepsy; etiology
