[Recurrence in "cured" epilepsies in adults]

From out outpatient department for adults we selected 63 patients out of a total of just under 600 epileptics who had been treated in an identical manner and had shown freedom for fits for many years under an anticonvulsant treatment and for whom a reduction in the dosage was carried out with the aim of completely discontinuing the administration of anticonvulsants. In most cases the diseases had been persisting for more than ten years. In the majority of the patients, the reduction of antiepileptic administration had been begun after a period of more than 3 (recently 5) years of freedom from fits with the reduction phase covering in most cases more than two years. In spite of this cautious approach, recurrence of fits occurred in 31 patients (= 49 per cent). These relapses mainly occurred immediately after beginning the reduction or in the first year after interruption of the administration of drugs.