[First epileptic seizure in the elderly: electroclinical and etiological data in 341 patients]

This study included 341 subjects aged over 60 years, 174 females and 167 males, (mean age 72-years), who experienced their first epileptic seizure and fulfilled all inclusion criteria over an 8-year period. Data were available from the physical examination, EEG, laboratory tests and CT scan or MRI for all patients. The international classification of epileptic seizures was applied, 41 p.cent of the seizures were generalized and 59 p.cent were partial. Status epilepticus occurred in 8 p.cent of the patients. The EEG recording was contributive to diagnosis or helpful for localizing the epileptic focus in 55 p.cent of the patients. Normal brain imaging was observed in 40 p.cent of the patients. The main etiology was cerebrovascular disease (33 p.cent), acute stroke (27 patients), or more often postvascular epilepsy (87 patients). Other etiologies were degenerative cortical dementia in 7 p.cent of the patients, metabolic and toxic disorders in 11 p.cent, and benign or malignant brain tumors in 6.5 p.cent. Thirty-two percent of the seizures were of unknown origin (cryptogenic seizures). No correlation was found between sex, age, and etiology. An antiepileptic drug treatment was initiated in 77 p.cent of the patients who were given either valproate (43 p.cent), carbamazepine (26 p.cent) or barbiturates (7 p.cent). These findings are in agreement with those reported in the reviewed literature.