The experience with electroencephalography at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi

Review of electroencephalography (EEG) requests at KNH over a 3 year period is presented. Majority of patients were aged between 0 and 10 years. None was older than 80 years. The epilepsies were the commonest reason for requesting EEG (58.5%). SSPE had the highest positivity rate of 91.7% followed by convulsive states of uncertain aetiology. The symptom of headache by itself was the least rewarding to study by EEG. It was more rewarding to first attempt to make a diagnosis of the headache. Hysteria had an EEG positivity rate of 40%, most of them being epilepsy. EEG picture for petit-mal, epilepsy focal seizure and generalized seizures are included in the text.