[Relapse of seizure after withdrawal of antiepileptic drug treatment in childhood epilepsy: age-dependent factors].
In 556 epileptic children, clinical and encephalographic factors concerning the discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs (AED) were studied, with emphasis on age-related factors. Seizures relapsed in 80 patients (14.4%), the incidence being high in idiopathic generalized epilepsy with onsets in adolescence or adulthood (juvenile absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, grand mal on awakening), symptomatic partial epilepsy and symptomatic generalized epilepsy. The age distribution at the relapse showed two peaks; 9 to 11 and 17 to 19 years. The first peak represented patients with school-age onset epilepsies, and the second those with the adolescent or adult onset epilepsies. The age at discontinuation of AED depended on each epileptic syndrome, and the relapse rate was significantly higher when the AED was discontinued after adolescence. In 56 patients, seizure relapsed during the withdrawal phase or less than 1 year after the discontinuation. The type of the relapsing seizure was the same as the previous ones. On the other hand, in 16 out of 24 patients whose relapse occurred 1 year or more after the discontinuation, the seizure type was different from the previous ones. These results suggest the relevance of age-dependent factors to the discontinuation of therapy.
Yamatani
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University.
Konishi
T
T
Matsuzawa
J
J
Hongou
K
K
Yagi
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors
D000927:Anticonvulsants