Photosensitive epilepsy in children

We performed a retrospective analysis of 17 children with photosensitive seizures (PSS) who had been followed for more than 3 years (mean: 9 years). PSS were verified in all patients by simultaneous video-EEG monitoring. The seizures were precipitated by flickering stroboscopes (14 patients) or were induced by patients themselves (3) with head-nodding in front of illumination, blinking at television or close viewing of striped patterns. PSS consisted of myoclonic seizures (eight patients), generalized tonic-clonic convulsions (5), partial seizures (3) or atypical absence (1). According to the International Classification of Epileptic Syndrome, three patients were classified as having severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy and five as having juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The remaining nine could not be categorized as any specific epileptic syndrome. Children with age of the onset of epilepsy at 7 years or younger tended to suffer intellectual deficit in addition to intractable seizures.