Minor motor epilepsy. Treatment with corticotropin (ACTH) and steroid therapy.

The most serious hazard of minor motor epilepsy is the associated mental and motor retardation, or both, which is found, in some degree, in essentially all patients. The use of corticotropin or steroids has been recommended in recent publications. The present study comprises 14 children with minor motor epilepsy, mental retardation, and hypsarhythmic electroencephalographic abnormalities. Corticotropin was given alone in eight cases; corticotropin was followed by triamcinolone in one; cortisoneacetate was given in two cases; prednisone was given in two cases, and triamcinolone was given alone in one case. In four cases there was improvement with respect to seizures, but in no case was there significant improvement in mental status.