[Idiopathic generalized epilepsy in young women: choise of treatment strategy]

We studied 279 women, aged 18-40 years old, with epilepsy. The study included the evaluation of anamnesis, clinical and neurological examination, routine EEG and/or video-EEG-monitoring, MRI of the brain. The period of observation was 6 months - 8 years. Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) was diagnosed in 85 cases, cryptogenic focal epilepsy in 107 cases, symptomatic focal epilepsy in 51 cases, unclassified epilepsy in 32 cases. In the end of study, remission was achieved in 70.8% of patients of the IGE group, the substantial reduction in the number of seizures was identified in 13.8%, no effect was seen in 15.4%. Adverse events were found in 22 of 63 (34.9%) patients treated with valproates, 9 of 25 (36%) patients treated with topiramate, 5 of 39 (1.8%) patients treated with carbamazepine, 3 of 7 (42.9%) patients treated with levetiracetam and in 2 of 5 (40%) patients treated with lamotrigine. The aggravation of absences with carbamazepine was diagnosed in 2 cases, myoclonic seizures - in 2 cases. Therapeutic strategies of young women with juvenile forms of IGE were described and analyzed.