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Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: a study of 50 Chinese children
1Department of Paediatrics, United Christian Hospital, 130 Hip Wo Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China. cklma@yahoo.com
Insights
Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS) in Chinese children typically begins around age 7, with most cases showing good prognosis and easy seizure control. Many children with BECTS do not require medication, and no specific risk factors for recurrence were identified.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Clinical Neuroscience
Background:
- Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS) is a common idiopathic epilepsy syndrome in children.
- Understanding local epidemiological data is crucial for effective management and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical characteristics, EEG findings, treatment, and prognosis of BECTS in a cohort of Chinese children.
- To identify potential risk factors for seizure recurrence in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 50 children diagnosed with BECTS between 1995 and 1998 in Hong Kong.
- Data collection included demographics, seizure presentation, family history, EEG results, treatment, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Peak age of onset was 7 years, with a male predominance.
- Most common EEG foci were mid-temporal and centrotemporal regions.
- 14% of children did not require anti-epileptic drugs; those treated responded well to low-dose carbamazepine or sodium valproate.
- Seizures were typically infrequent, short, and nocturnal generalized seizures.
Conclusions:
- BECTS in this cohort demonstrated a generally good prognosis with favorable seizure control.
- No significant risk factors for frequent seizure recurrence were identified in this study.
- The findings support the generally benign nature of BECTS in childhood.
Abstract:
In order to collect local data for children with Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS), we conducted a retrospective study of 50 Chinese children (32 males and 18 females) with BECTS diagnosed in two regional hospitals in Hong Kong from 1995 to 1998. Their peak age of onset was 7 years (range 3-13 years) and a male predominance was observed. Seven patients (14%) had a past history of febrile convulsions and five cases (10%) had a family history of epilepsy. The presentation was protean, but most of them had infrequent, short, nocturnal generalised seizures. The EEG spike foci were most frequently found in mid-temporal regions, followed by centrotemporal regions. Fourteen percent of children did not require anti-epileptic drug treatment. For those who were treated, they were easily controlled on a low dose of carbamazepine (median dosage of 12.75 mg/kg per day) or sodium valproate (median dosage of 20 mg/kg per day). Our study suggested a generally good prognosis for BECTS. No risk factors of frequent seizure recurrence could be identified.
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