Infantile spasms are typical crisis found in the childhood being a serious pathology with an obscure prognosis. We present the experience of the Service of Neuropediatrics in the Pediatric General Center, Belo Horizonte -- Brasil, during the year of 1997, with a review of the literature about. After appropriate propaedeutics, were found 12 cases considered symptomatics and 1 case cryptogenic. All these cases were treated with ACTH during 6 weeks associated with oral antiepileptic drugs in mono or polytherapy for maintenance. We had excellent results using ACTH at the beginning of the treatment, obtaining good results in all of the cases with some side effects that were not important enough to interrupt the treatment. However, there was a recurrence rate of 55% and vigabatrin was used as second option, controlling 4 of the 5 cases. All the cases showed retardation of the neuropsychomotor development.
infantile spasms; West syndrome; ACTH
