[Course of drug-resistant childhood epilepsy treated with topiramate].
BACKGROUND
The variable proportion of cases with childhood epilepsy resistant to treatment, has led to the development of different new drugs.


OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy of topiramate as add-on therapy in the everyday practice of a neuropaediatric clinic.


METHODS
A retrospective study of all the patients treated with topiramate in a hospital outpatient clinic was performed.


METHODS
1. Reduction in >/= 50% as compared to basal frequency (partial control) and total control of seizures, and 2. Duration of drug treatment, using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
We studied 31 courses of treatment in 29 children. The aetiology of the epileptic syndromes was: idiopathic epilepsy (3.3%), cryptogenic epilepsy (58%) and symptomatic epilepsy (38.7%). We found a >/= 50% reduction in the basal monthly frequency of seizures after 3 months of treatment in 52% of the patients, which persisted 18 months later in 25%. Total control of seizures was obtained in 18.5% of the patients after 3 months of treatment, and this response was maintained 12 months later in 12.5%. The probability of maintaining treatment with topiramate for 6 months was 80%, and for 12 months was 49%. The average duration of treatment was 7.9 months (interval 1-29 months). Topiramate was suspended in 9 patients (29%).


CONCLUSIONS
In difficult to treat childhood epilepsy topiramate as add-on therapy provides a partial and total responses which are similar to those reported with classical drugs, and depend on the duration of follow-up.
Prats Viñas
J M
JM
Unidad de Neuropediatría; Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, 48903, España. jprats@hcru.osakidetza.net
Garaizar Axpe
C
C
Martínez González
M J
MJ
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077236:Topiramate
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose