[Influence of medical and neuropsychiatric comorbidities on the course of childhood epilepsy]

Abstract

Introduction: Comorbidity has a significant influence in the management of patients with epilepsy.

Material and methods: A descriptive study of all patients with epilepsy, from a suburban area in the Community of Madrid followed up for at least 1 year. Children under 2 years, those with symptomatic acute febrile seizures were excluded.

Results: Out of a total of 46 patients (54% male, age median 9.1 years), more than half (52.5%) were on monotherapy, 45.7% were "free of seizures", 23.9% had "drug resistant epilepsy", and 30.4% were "undetermined". As regards comorbidities, 28.3% had chronic medical conditions, and 41.3% associated neuropsychiatric disorders. In32.6%, the seizures were of sudden onset, and those with chronic medical and neuropsychiatric comorbidities had a risk of 15 and 8.3 times, respectively, than those patients without comorbidities.

Conclusions: Comorbidities may have an important role in the course of epilepsy.

Keywords: Calidad de vida; Comorbilidad médica; Comorbilidad psiquiátrica; Drug-resistant epilepsy; Epilepsia; Epilepsia refractaria; Medical comorbidity; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Psychiatric comorbidity; Quality of life: Epilepsy; Trastornos del neurodesarrollo.