A comparative study of absence status epilepticus between children and adults

Based on the clinicoelectrographic data of 28 patients (14 children and 14 adults) with absence status epilepticus thoroughly documented by CCTV/EEG, it was found that there were significant differences between the children and adults. In childhood, absence status tended to occur in those who had experienced individual short-lived atypical absence seizures and also other types of generalized seizure. In contrast, there was a general tendency for absence status in adulthood to occur in females without individual absence seizure. With respect to the clinicoelectrographical manifestations, absence status with a decreased postural tone was prone to be associated with a more profound clouding of consciousness, whereas in those with myoclonic components there was a less profound clouding. The former was found solely in children while the latter was both in children and in adults. During absence status, the focal motor features with or without secondarily generalized convulsions were observed in 8 adult patients (57%). On the other hand, no focal motor manifestations were observed during absence status in children. Absence status is composed of two modalities: either a prolongation or repetition of absence seizures. It was demonstrated that, in children, either the prolongation or repetition of individual absence seizures developed into absence status. The short-lived absence was of an atypical nature, whereas in adults, absence status consisted of the prolongation of an absence seizure which occurred in patients with no experience of individual absence seizures. With respect to the drug treatment, antiabsence drugs had some effect in children, while none of the adult patients responded either to the antiabsence drugs or other antiepileptic drugs. The long-term seizure prognosis was not necessarily poor in children but invariably poor in adults. Four adult patients showed diffuse, but unilateral frontally accentuated asymmetrical paroxysmal activity during the status. Three of them showed initial localized spike-wave discharges in the unilateral frontal region followed by a generalized spike-wave rhythm. Furthermore, all of these 4 patients with focally accentuated ictal EEGs have shown partial motor seizures intermingled with absence status.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)