Foetal hydantoin syndrome

During pregnancy produces foetal hydantoin syndrome. At higher concentration produces ataxia, vertigo, diplopia, nystagmus, behavioural alteration and mental confusion. 

Pendergrass and Hanson (31 -) recently reported the case of a child with the foetal hydantoin syndrome and neuroblastoma. The 24-year-old mother had been taking phenytoin and phenobarbitone since the age of 14. The pregnancy was complicated by 2 seizures and was terminated by caesarian section at 43 weeks. The child displayed many of the features of the foetal hydantoin syndrome, and at 3 years of age presented with a large abdominal tumour from which she died. Necropsy demonstrated metastatic neuroblastoma. The authors point out that this association may be fortuitous but mention that it has recently been suggested that epoxides may be intermediate products in the metabolism of epanutin and these substances have been reported to be oncogenic. 

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