Early-onset occipital idiopathic epilepsy: a syndrome to be treated?

J Child Neurol. 2003 Jan;18(1):72-4. doi: 10.1177/08830738030180011701.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors in early-onset childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms. We studied retrospectively a population of 46 patients, which was divided into three groups according to seizure frequency group 1, patients experiencing a single seizure (3396); group 2, patients experiencing two to six seizures (48%); and group 3, patients experiencing more than six seizures (20%). The mean follow-up period was about 5 years in the three groups. At the end of the first 6 months of this retrospective follow-up, the average number of seizures was higher in group 3 (2.9 seizures) than in groups 2 and 1 (1.8 and 1 seizure, respectively). We suggest that low seizure frequency in the first 6 months of follow-up could have prognostic value. We propose that the introduction of anti-epilepsy drugs be delayed for 6 months following epilepsy onset and be subsequently limited to patients with frequent seizure recurrence.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Electroencephalography / drug effects
  • Epilepsies, Partial / diagnosis*
  • Epilepsies, Partial / drug therapy
  • Epilepsies, Partial / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Occipital Lobe* / physiopathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants