title: Retrospective study of febrile seizures: subsequent electroencephalogram findings, unprovoked seizures and epilepsy in adolescents.
abstract: A retrospective questionnaire to determine the prevalence of febrile seizures was given to adolescents (16- and 17-year-olds) in the final 2 years of secondary school at the five schools in Alexandroupolis, Greece. Parents were interviewed, and clinical and electroencephalographic examinations were performed in all adolescents with a history of febrile seizures. Of 1708 adolescents, 56 (3.3%) had experienced at least one febrile seizure. Of these, 44 (78.6%) were simple and 12 (21.4%) were complex febrile seizures. Recurrent seizures occurred in 22 cases (39.3%), and the mean age at onset was 25.1 months. There was a positive first-degree family history in eight cases (14.3%) and this increased to 27.3% in cases with recurrent seizures. Two of the adolescents (3.6%) had had one unprovoked seizure before the age of 3 years, and another two children developed epilepsy. Epileptiform electroencephalogram discharges were observed in only one case (1.8%) with generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Thrace, General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece. cpiperid@med.duth.gr
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Piperidou
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Heliopoulos
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Maltezos
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Stathopoulos
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Milonas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology