SUmmARY A 14-year-old boy had suffered from intermittent acute hepatic porphyria, myoclonic convulsions, and mental retardation (LennoxGastaut syndrome). The porphyria was treated by stopping the administration of phenobarbitone and phenytoin. Sodium valproate at a dose of 70 mg/kg per day lessened the severity and frequency of convulsive crises.Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is rare in children, but is not unknown. In a survey of reports on such children, Barclay (1974)
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.