Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Purpose: Inflammation may contribute to drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) in children and immunomodulatory therapies, including intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), have been described to reduce seizure burden. This retrospective study assesses the effect of IVIG on seizures in a tertiary epilepsy center. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of children with DRE using our Pediatric Epilepsy Outcome-Informatics database, which contains standardized information on 3,650 pediatric epilepsy patients collected at the point of care. Inclusion criteria were refractory seizures, regular follow-up and treatment with IVIG for at least 1 year. Patients with autoimmune encephalitis were excluded from the analysis. Sex, etiology, epilepsy syndromes, seizure types, antiseizure medications (ASM), adverse effects, and seizure frequency scores prior, 3 months post-, and 1-year post-IVIG were collected and statistically compared. Results: = 0.019). These findings could not be explained by changes in other ASMs. Conclusion: Long-term use of IVIG in pediatric patients can be an effective treatment for refractory seizures, even if exact mechanisms remain unclear.