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Short duration of benign partial epilepsy in infancy
Gregg B Nelson1, Donald M Olson, Jin S Hahn
1Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, CA, USA.
Journal of Child Neurology
|August 15, 2002
Summary
Benign partial epilepsy in infancy is a treatable condition with a favorable prognosis, often resolving within months. This study suggests discontinuing antiepilepsy drugs 6 months after seizure onset for infants with this epilepsy syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Benign partial epilepsy in infancy (BPEI) is a significant cause of epilepsy in young children.
- Previous reports suggest BPEI accounts for up to 29% of epilepsies in the first two years of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the actual proportion of BPEI within a specific pediatric epilepsy population.
- To evaluate the diagnostic criteria and long-term prognosis of BPEI.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 331 patients with afebrile seizures in the first two years of life (1993-2000).
- Inclusion criteria focused on partial seizures, normal development, normal EEGs, and good treatment response.
- Exclusion criteria addressed acute CNS insults, early-onset seizures, and prolonged seizures.
Main Results:
- 22 patients (6.6%) met the criteria for BPEI, with a mean follow-up of 4 years off medication.
- Seizures remitted in 91% within 4 months; all patients were seizure-free at long-term follow-up.
- Neuroimaging was normal in all cases, with a median seizure onset at 4 months.
Conclusions:
- BPEI is an idiopathic, localization-related epilepsy with a favorable prognosis and short duration.
- The incidence in this cohort was lower than previously reported.
- A suggested treatment approach includes discontinuing antiepilepsy drugs 6 months post-seizure onset.