Acquired aetiological factors in Nigerian Epileptics (an investigation of 378 patients)

378 classifiable epileptics attending the neurology clinics at Lagos University Teaching Hospital were investigated for acquired aetiological factors. 34.9% had identifiable aetiology. The commonest aetiological factor was childhood febrile convulsion, a factor most commonly associated with partial epilepsy with complex symptomatology. Other factors were: head injury, birth injury, CNS infections, cerebrovascular accidents, intracranial space occupying lesions and sickle cell disease; 39% of patients with partial epilepsy had acquired aetiological factors. The 61% of them without identifiable aetiology reflect inherent low seizure threshold which makes it possible for a clinically undetectable minimal organic lesion to be epileptogenic. 22.9% of patients with generalised epilepsy had identified aetiology suggesting that idiopathic epilepsy is not synonymous with generalised epilepsy and symptomatic epilepsy not exclusive to partial epilepsy.