[Rolandic epilepsy clinical variants and their influence on the prognosis]

Benign epilepsy with central-temporal spikes (BECTS) is the most common epileptic syndrome in childhood. It is an age-dependent, genetically determined and benign condition. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical course and prognosis in 60 patients with BECTS diagnosed in our hospital.

We made a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with BECTS in a University Hospital (1995-2009). They were divided into 2 groups: 1) Patients who met all BECTS classical criteria. 2) Patients who met all the criteria but one (less than 4 years; diurnal seizures; atypical EEG abnormalities).

A total of 60 patients, 34 males and 26 females were included, with 31 patients in group 1 and 29 in group 2. The mean age at onset in group 1: 7.45 years, group 2: 6.55 years. Medical treatment was indicated in 32.2% of patients in group 1 and 41.3% in group 2. The outcome was favourable in the majority: 58% in group 1 and 62.1% in group 2 were free of seizures after 1 year. Average age in which it disappeared: 8.54 years in group 1 and 7.84 years in group 2. There were no statistically significant differences in any of these parameters.

Unlike that published by some authors, we have not identified any poor outcome factors in patients with BECTS in this study, meaning that an accurate diagnosis correlates with a good prognosis and excellent neurological outcome.