Epidemiology of absence epilepsy. III. Clinical aspects.
Absence epilepsy was studied in a Swedish population, aged 0-15 years, in 1978-1982. Cases were selected by electroencephalographic criteria. In the 134 children with 3 Hz spike-and-wave discharges, 97 (72.4%) had absences alone or in combination with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal): 56 had absences alone, 31 absences followed by grand mal, and 10 started with initial grand mal. Two distinct groups could be discerned: 1) childhood absence epilepsy: onset before the age of 12, with a quick response to therapy, little or no risk of grand mal, and a high remission rate; 2) juvenile absence epilepsy: onset at the age of 12 or later, a very high risk of grand mal, and usually a good response to therapy, but a high risk of relapses at withdrawal. This classification of absence epilepsy into subgroups may be useful for prognostic guidelines.
Olsson
I
I
Department of Paediatrics II, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
Hagberg
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology