Serum phenytoin concentration and clinical response in patients with epilepsy

1 Patients with poorly controlled epilepsy were cautiously transferred from multiple drug therapy to treatment with phenytoin sodium alone. One patient suffered more severe seizures and the initial treatment was restarted. The remainder showed no deterioration. 2 The daily dose of phenytoin was then increased by a small increment at intervals of 2 or more months. The serum phenytoin concentration (total and free) was measured regularly and response was assessed by records of seizure frequency and tests of speech, handwriting, short-term memory and coordination. 3 Patients (n = 11) with partial seizures showed no consistent improvement with increased phenytoin concentration within the range 15 mg/l (60 mumol/l) to the individual threshold for intoxication, greater than or equal to 35 mg/l (140 mumol/l). Patients (n = 4) with generalized seizures however were consistently improved at higher concentrations. 4 Tolerance to phenytoin varied, the threshold for symptomatic intoxication ranging from 35-60 mg/l (140-240 mumol/l) total and 2.7-5.2 mg/l (10.8-20.8 mumol/l) free. Ataxia was the commonest symptom and in some cases this was manifest by worsening of performance on the test of coordination (pursuit rotor). Even at lower phenytoin concentrations the patients performed less well on this test than control subjects. Other tests of performance showed no evidence of impairment at higher phenytoin concentrations. 5 The same daily dose of phenytoin tended to give higher serum drug concentrations after intoxication than before.