Early post traumatic seizures in adults. Study of 84 cases

In a series of 2.980 brain-injured patients, 84 (2.8%) showed epileptic seizures. Epilepsy occurred with a higher incidence rate in operated patients (11.6%) than in non operated ones (1.2%). Seizures appeared within the first week since trauma in 91% of the cases. They have been single in 48%, recurring in 34%, with figures of status epilepticus in 16% partial in 61%, and GM in 33%. Prognosis quoad vitam of early epilepsy seems to be favourable, however, in severely brain-injured patients, seizures occur more frequently and may determine a worsening of the clinical picture even if they are not responsible for the death.