title: [So-called late epilepsy (author's transl)].
abstract: 411 patients with epileptic seizures manifest only after the age of 25 were investigated as to aetiology, seizure type and frequency and age and sex distribution. Neurological, neuro-radiological and EEG findings are reported: There was a clear prevalence of male patients (67%). Manifestation occurred mainly between 30 and 40 years of age (65%). Most seizures were primarily of the generalized grand mal type (68%). Grand mal with focal onset occurred in 13%, partial seizures in 11%, complex partial seizures (psychomotor seizures) in 5%, the latter plus grand mal seizures in 2% and other types in 1% of the cases. Aetiological factors were: chronic alcoholism (31%), vascular diseases (17%), tumours (12%), traumatic brain lesions (8,5%), toxic metabolic lesions (6%) and other factors (6%). Idiopathic epilepsy of late onset was a rare cause (4%). The aetiology remained unknown in 15% of cases. We found that the differences in age distribution, seizure type and the EEG findings are significant factors in the differential diagnosis and we compared them with those found in similar investigations.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D004827:Epilepsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000150:complications; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications
vernacular_title: Die sogenannte Spätepilepsie.