Treatment of childhood epilepsy with valproic acid: results of the first 100 patients in a 6-month trial.
We evaluated valproic acid (VPA) for 6 months as therapy for uncontrolled seizures in 100 children, 38 with partial and 62 with generalized epilepsy. Sixty-one patients experienced more than a 75% decrease in seizures. The improvement in generalized epilepsy paralleled adult VPA studies, but partial epilepsy improved more than expected, even though acceptable seizure control was often achieved only after 6 months of VP therapy. The most significant side effect was gastrointestinal distress, which was alleviated by dietary changes. Limited experience suggested that enteric-coated capsules eliminated gastrointestinal symptoms. Hematologic, hepatic, and behavioral sequelae were minimal.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid