[Epilepsy in elderly patients].
Epilepsy starting in patients aged over 60 years is classically said to be rare, but it is in fact remarkably frequent with an incidence rate higher than 100 in 100,000. Although these figures include isolated seizures, the recurrent seizure rate is still very high. In elderly people epilepsy is more often partial than generalized, and it must be distinguished from cerebral accidents of ischaemic origin and in particular from syncopes consecutive to postural hypotension or heart disease. Late onset epilepsy is often of vascular origin, but it may also be tumoral in some cases or, less frequently, post-traumatic, alcoholic or atrophic. Idiopathic generalized epilepsy is no longer observed. Cases of undetermined cause are less common than in younger subjects.
Service de neurologie, CHRU de Nancy, hôpital Saint-Julien.
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M
Weber
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
L'épilepsie du sujet âgé.