[Etiology of late-onset epilepsy]

Late-onset epilepsy is considered the epilepsy that starts after 25 years old.

To determine the etiology and value of the clinical and paraclinical studies in the diagnosis, we evaluated 300 patients older than 25 years admitted in the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of the city of La Havana between 1980 and 1990. Data about the illness, family and personal history and physical exploration were picked up. EEG, CT, MRI and carotid arteriography were performed.

The main prevalence was 25 to 29 years (15.3%) and those older than 60 years (14.3%). We determined the diagnosis in 56% of the patients. Stroke was present in 19.3%, degenerative diseases in 16.6%, cerebral tumors in 9%, severe cranial trauma in 7.6% and infections, perinatal damage and toxic and metabolic causes in 3.3%.

The symptomatic epilepsy is the most frequent type of late-onset epilepsy, the vascular and degenerative etiology are the most important in those older than 40 years old, these findings are similar to those of the developed countries.