Visual seizures in children

Twenty-one children (11 boys, 10 girls) suffering from visual seizures were studied. The visual seizures manifested as loss of vision, flickering light, blurring or figurative hallucinations. Ictal EEGs during visual seizures were recorded in 4 cases; the ictal discharges all originated in the occipital area. Visual seizures appeared in association with two or more non-visual ictal signs. In 18 cases, interictal EEGs revealed epileptiform discharges in the occipital area. In 3 cases, all girls, interictal EEGs showed photoconvulsive responses and focal spikes outside the occipital areas. They experienced clinical seizures when watching television and were thought to have photosensitive partial seizures.