title: Origin of seizures in elderly patients.
abstract: Among 50 previously well patients, aged 69 years or older, who had a first seizure, a cause could be identified in only 25 (50%). Cerebrovascular disease accounted for the seizures in 30% of the total group. Only one tumor was found. Treatable causes were found in 20%. In 25 patients (50%), a cause could not be identified. A total of 56% of the patients had focal motor seizures, and in 44%, the seizures were generalized. A definite cause could be established in 57% of those with focal seizure and in 41% of those with generalized seizures. These results are compared with previous surveys of adult-onset epilepsy and indicate a somewhat different etiologic distribution in elderly patients.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications