[The importance of postnatal risk factors in localized epilepsies].
BACKGROUND
The risk factors for epilepsy are not sufficiently well known.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the postnatal risk factors for epilepsy related to localization.


METHODS
We studied 100 patients with localized epilepsy who were over 14 years old, randomly selected and consulted us between January 1996 and July 1997. Data was obtained using the specific protocol of an epileptology program. All patients had electroencephalograms and skull tomography.


RESULTS
The average age was 29 years. There were more males than females (57 males) and simple partial crises with secondary generalization were the commonest (49 patients). Head injury was the main risk factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Postnatal risk factors which could have been avoided, such as head injury and neurocysticercosis made up the main group of patients with factors identified. Alterations on skull tomography were associated with statistically significant postnatal risk factors.
Hernández-Fustes
O J
OJ
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Cajuru de la Pontificia Universidad Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brasil. neurohuc@rla13.pucpr.br
Werneck
L C
LC
Hernández-Cossio
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed