title: Levetiracetam for benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes-three cases.
abstract: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), also known as benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) of childhood represents 15% of all childhood epilepsies [Handbook of Epilepsy Treatment (2000)]. A majority of these patients do no require treatment; however, in those cases where treatment is justified, the most efficacious medication with a benign safety profile should be selected. We present three clinical cases of otherwise healthy children with BECTS who were treated only with levetiracetam. All three of these children remain seizure-free and are experiencing no reported side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Neurology, University of California San Francisco, 2340 Clay Street, Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA. lebello@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Bello-Espinosa
authors.forename: Summer L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010889:Piracetam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam