title: Centro-temporal benign epilepsy in Saudi children.
abstract: A review of 36 interictal EEGs compatible with the diagnosis of benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) was made in this study. These children constituted 31% of the children with focal epileptic EEG activity observed in the same period. The dipolic spikes occurred either as a single focus (78%) or as two independent foci with a greater preponderance to the right (22%). The onset of seizures before the age of 5 years (Group I) is 53% and between 6 and 10 years (Group II) is 47%. Clinical evaluation showed that 60% of the patients in Group I and 75% in Group II had lateralized seizures, although all of them were initially diagnosed as nocturnal generalized tonic-clonic seizures. A follow-up study showed 31% complete recovery, 47% seizure-free under medications, 8% occasional seizures, 8% frequent seizures, and the rest 6% had a single seizure without medication. It is therefore concluded that the syndrome is common in Saudi Arabia and is usually unrecognized by the general physicians. The follow-up of our patients so far confirms the excellent prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, King Khalid University Hospital--King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kabiraj
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: al Rajeh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abduljabbar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daif
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: al Tahan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: al Bunyan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants