[Epilepsy beginning between 18 and 39 years of age (author's transl)]

The frequency of primary generalized epilepsies is less than 20% of the epilepsies which begin between the ages of 18 and 39. Clinical seizures are rare, apart from myoclonus. A favourable outcome is observed in 70% of the patients. Seizures of frontal origin (absences and secondary generalized aversive seizures) are frequent in this group and difficult to control with anticonvulsant drugs, as are all other kinds of partial seizures with or without secondary generalization. Rarely, an epileptic state, most often of partial character, is the first ictal manifestation of epilepsy. Head trauma is the most frequent aetiology, followed by cerebral tumours and chronic alcoholic intoxication. The aetiology of epilepsy beginning in this class of ages remains unknown in nearly 50% of cases. The CT scan tends to reduce the frequency of cases of unknown origin.