مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - The etiology and recurrence of acute symptomatic seizures during childhood

Author/Authors :

Çelik, Binnaz Tekatlı Kayseri Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi - Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Bölümü, Turkey , Gürer, Yahya Kemal Yavuz Kırıkkale Üniversitesi - Tıp Fakültesi - Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları AD, Turkey , Çelik, Neşat Özel Erciyes Hastanesi - Pediatri Bölümü, Turkey

Abstract :

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the pediatric patients diagnosed with symptomatic seizure who presented with convulsion or developed convulsion after admission due to another reason with regard to etiology and type of seizure, electroencephalography and cranial imaging findings, duration of antiepileptic therapy, seizure recurrence, and sequalea. Materials and methods: Our study sample consisted of 65 children aged between 1 month and 16 years who presented to the Emergency Unit of Sami Ulus Pediatric Health and Diseases Teaching and Research Hospital directly with convulsion or developed convulsion after admission due to another reason and subsequently diagnosed with symptomatic seizure between June 1, 2006 and December 31, 2007. Results: A total of 65 patients complying with the definition of acute symptomatic seizure were included in the study. The youngest patient was 2-month-old, whereas the oldest was 180-month-old, with the seizures generally occurring between 1-12 months. Central nervous system infections were observed to be the most common reason of acute symptomatic seizure. Organic causes with central nervous system are observed to induce seizure recurrence and sequelae more commonly as compared with the metabolic causes (p=0.015). Conclusion: Since seizure recurrence is a very low possibility when no organic lesion or focal neurologic sign is found in patients that have been put on antiepileptic therapy during the acute period due to acute symptomatic seizure, discontinuation of the antiepileptic therapy should be planned and the patient should be scheduled for discharge.