[Long-term efficacy and tolerance of topiramate in 44 children with resistant epilepsy]

Topiramate (TPM) is a new antiepileptic drug with multiple modes of action which should theoretically represent a wide therapeutic spectrum. However, there is still little clinical experience of its use in children with epilepsy.

TPM was given during a period of 14.8 +/- 15.4 months, at an average dose of 6.6 +/- 2.5 mg/kg/day to 44 children with resistant epilepsy. They included 21 children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 14 with partial epilepsy, 7 with multifocal epilepsy, one with polymorphic epilepsy and one with electrical changes during sleep.

When TPM was associated with their treatment, a response of > 50% reduction in epileptic crises was seen in 76% of the cases (85% with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 64% with partial epilepsy, 71% with multifocal epilepsy) and suppression of crises in 12% of the cases (5% with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 21% with partial epilepsy and 14% with multifocal epilepsy). The drug was well tolerated and only stopped because of side-effects in 4.5% of the cases.

TPM is an antiepileptic drug with a broad therapeutic spectrum, good clinical efficacy in children and is well tolerated by them.