West Syndrome and the new classification of epilepsy

West syndrome is characterised by infantile spasms, developmental delay or regression, and the EEG pattern of hypsarrhythmia. The symptoms were first described by William James West, a British physician, in The Lancet in 1841. 1 West WJ On a peculiar form of infantile convulsions. Lancet. 1841; 35: 724-725 Abstract Scopus (214) Google Scholar West described seizures that started at age 4 months in his own son, who also had developmental delay. The seizures occurred in clusters of up to 20 spasms in 3 min, recurring three or more times per day. West also commented on the poor prognosis of similar patients encountered by his peers.