Today, Sandifer syndrome is not often diagnosed. Usually pathology is found in children in the first year of their life. The syndrome was first described in 1964 in a child who had gastroesophageal reflux, a behavior disorder, and often had ARVI.
A brief description of the pathology
Sandifer syndrome is a pathology characterized by the presence of a triad of symptoms:
- gastroesophageal reflux;
- hernias of the aperture of the diaphragm;
- torticollis.
All this is accompanied by an unnatural pose of the child. His head is constantly tilted to the side and turned in the opposite direction.
Many do not understand what is reflux esophagitis (gastroesophageal reflux). This term refers to chronic pathology, characterized by damage to the lower part of the esophagus as a result of the contents of the stomach falling into it.
Sandifer syndrome is difficult to diagnose. Quite often, small patients are treated for a long time for neurological diseases, for example, epilepsy and hyperkinesis. The pathology of the digestive tract is usually diagnosed by accident.
Currently, in modern medicine this problem has not been sufficiently studied, therefore there is little information about it. According to statistics, pathology most often develops in children with cerebral palsy, asthma or cystic fibrosis.
Symptoms of the disease
With Sandifer syndrome, symptoms in infants are manifested by small dyspeptic disorders. The child has torticollis, involuntary head movements, which is especially common after eating. The baby can suddenly turn his head in one direction, while the body in the other. In this case, the muscles of the back are tensed, it bends back.
Sandifer syndrome also manifests itself with certain difficulties in feeding infants. Children periodically vomit, take unnatural poses, throw their heads back. They may experience vomiting, increased salivation. At the same time, they are restless, cry, may freeze for a while. Body weight is usually reduced with this pathology. In some cases, apnea and cyanosis develop.
With this pathology, muscular-tonic syndrome and unnatural postures are observed. Most often, the child throws his head back or turns it in one direction. The muscles are very tense. Sometimes the upper limbs and the body may be involved in this process, the child looks away. All this may resemble an epileptic seizure or tonic convulsions. It is for this reason that doctors often make the wrong diagnosis.
Diagnostics
When examined by a neurologist, changes in the spine, muscle fibers are not detected, and the vestibular apparatus of the child is not damaged. Epilepsy is also not detected. When diagnosing a pathology, doctors detect gastroesophageal reflux, a hernia of the food opening of the diaphragm.
To make an accurate diagnosis, pH is monitored, barium passage to study the structure of the esophagus, EEG monitoring, as well as EMG to establish muscle dystonia and MRI of the brain.
Conclusion
Sandifer syndrome is a pathology that is most pronounced during a meal. In this case, the child has an involuntary rotation of the head in one groan, and the body in another. This posture usually lasts about three minutes, at which time the baby calms down. Then he becomes restless.
Such attacks in children can be observed both daily and occasionally. They usually last up to three minutes. But in some cases, a long time (ten minutes) can be observed. A chronic permanent condition rarely develops. It is interesting that during sleep such pathological phenomena are not observed.
An important role in the correct diagnosis is played by the fact that seizures occur only during meals or for half an hour after it.
The prognosis of the disease is favorable. Treatment of pathology involves courses of antireflux therapy.