[Epilepsy in children and adolescents after sustaining a neuroinfection]

The author studied 312 subjects who had had neuroinfection in childhood or adolescence. In 37 subjects epilepsy was diagnosed, the rate being 20 times higher than in the general population. Another 90 subjects presented individual clinical symptoms which should be interpreted as factors of risk for epilepsy development. Thus, individuals with a history of neuroinfection require outpatient follow-up. Parents of children and adolescents with a history of neuroinfection should be trained in detecting the early signs of epilepsy. Subjects in whom factors of risk of epilepsy development have been identified should be subjected to primary prophylaxis to prevent the disease.