title: The National General Practice Study of Epilepsy. The syndromic classification of the International League Against Epilepsy applied to epilepsy in a general population.
abstract: In this prospective, population-based study of 594 cases of newly diagnosed epilepsy, proportions in categories as defined by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) were as follows: (1) localization-related epilepsies: 1.1* idiopathic, 1.2%; 1.2* symptomatic, 16.2%; and 1.3 cryptogenic, 24.6%; (2) generalized epilepsies: 2.1* idiopathic (idiopathic generalized epilepsy) with 3-Hz spike and wave: absence epilepsy, 2.2%; juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, 1.5%; and nonspecific idiopathic generalized epilepsy, 5.6%; 2.3.1* symptomatic generalized epilepsies, 1.5%; 2.3.2* specific syndromes with generalized epilepsy, 0.3%; 3.2 seizures without unequivocal focal or generalized features, 32%; 4.1 situation-related syndromes, isolated seizures, 9.9%; seizures due to acute toxic or metabolic cause,* 4.5%. Only 33.6% were in diagnostic ILAE categories (asterisks) and many rare syndromes were not represented. The remainder (66.4%) were in various nonspecific categories. Only 24% of localization-related epilepsies could be clinically localized to a single ILAE-proposed site of origin and of these best localized cases, 14% had strongly discordant imaging or electroencephalograms. These major problems in applying the ILAE classification to epilepsy in the general population and its underemphasis of modern imaging techniques are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Buckinghamshire, England.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manford
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Shorvon
mesh_terms: D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed