Etiology and patterns of seizures in the elderly

67 consecutive, unselected patients with seizure onset after the age of 60 were studied prospectively in a general hospital with only neurosciences facilities for a population of 500,000. Investigations in most cases included CT scan of the brain and EEG. Etiology could be determined in 44 (66%): tumor- 16 (22%), stroke - 15 (22%) and miscellaneous - 13 (20%). Seizures were partial in 45 (67%) and generalized from onset in 22 (33%). Seizures were exclusively nocturnal in 8 of 23 (35%) cases with unknown etiology.