The effect of ACTH therapy upon infantile spasms.

Fifty-five infants with infantile spasms and hypsarrhythmia, who were treated with ACTH using 80 units im every other day for a mean period of ten months, were studied retrospectively and showed better results than infants using so-called nonsteroidal anticonvulsants or ACTH and steroids in other doses and with other time intervals. The study showed that the treatment with ACTH within the first month of onset of spasms produced a higher incidence of spasm-free state while on treatment, a shorter duration of spasms while on treatment, and a higher incidence of spasm-free state while on treatment, a shorter duration of spasms while on treatment, and a higher incidence of a spasm-free state when off treatment, compared to a similar regimen of ACTH begun after seizures had persusted for more than a month. The value of early treatment of infantile spasms suggests that the treatment of this disease should be regarded as a medical emergency.