title: The misdiagnosis of epilepsy: findings of a population study.
abstract: This paper reports the results of a population study designed to assess the standards of epilepsy care within a geographical population in relation to diagnosis, seizure management and quality of life. One of the findings was the unexpectedly high frequency of the misdiagnosis of epilepsy. Forty-nine of 214 patients with a primary diagnosis of epilepsy were subsequently found to have been misdiagnosed following a specialist review and investigations. All except two have been withdrawn from antiepileptic medication. The diagnosis of epilepsy was disputed in a further 26 patients. Of the 49 patients, 20 were found to have cardiovascular or cerebrovascular pathology. Seven had only ever experienced a single seizure and a further 10 were found to have underlying psychopathology. Such observations support the view that epilepsy is frequently misdiagnosed and this paper discusses some of the implications of misdiagnosis.
authors.affiliation: The David Lewis Centre for Epilepsy, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clough
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pickles
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants