title: Lamotrigine as an add-on therapy in intractable paediatric epilepsy--the Kuala Lumpur Hospital experience.
abstract: An observational study of all children with intractable epilepsy at the Paediatric Institute prescribed Lamotrigine as an add-on therapy between January 1994 and November 1998 was conducted. A total of 30 children were recruited. Three had adverse effects to the drug and it was withdrawn. Of the remaining 27, there were 20 boys and 7 girls, ranging from 2 to 17 years. Fifteen children had generalised epilepsy, 6 had partial epilepsy, 2 had West syndrome and 4 had Lennox Gastaut syndrome. Six children (20%) became seizure free, and 14 (54%) had a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency. However 7 children (23%) did not respond and 3 experienced a deterioration in seizure severity. Nine children were noted to have an improvement in alertness and behaviour. Our small series suggests that Lamotrigine is useful as add-on therapy in childhood intractable epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Paediatric Institute, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Jalan Pahang, 50586, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vigneswari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sofiah
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine