[Two cases of theophylline-associated encephalopathy in childhood: clinical and CT findings].

Two asthmatic children who developed status epilepticus during theophylline treatment followed by semi-coma were reported. They suffered from severe neurological sequelae. A two-year-old male received oral maintenance theophylline therapy and a four-year-old male received intravenous theophylline therapy at the time of seizures. Theophylline blood levels measured several hours after the onset of seizures were within or below the therapeutic level; 12.7 and 8.8 micrograms/ml. They had febrile convulsions prior to the onset of episode and one of them was mildly delayed in psychomotor development. Brain CT scans showed diffuse cortical low-density in the acute period. Follow up CT scans revealed progressive cortical low-density in the subacute period and subsequently reached to the peak in the 10th day and 19th day of illness respectively. We consider that the progressive and long-lasting severe cortical edema on brain CT scan is characteristic of theophylline-associated encephalopathy.