title: Factors associated with poor control in partial complex epilepsy.
abstract: To evaluate the predictive factors of response to anticonvulsant therapy in children with complex partial epilepsy, we studied prospectively 74 children and adolescents suffering from this type of epilepsy. All children were prospectively followed for at least 2 years after the beginning of anticonvulsant therapy. At the end of follow-up, the children were subdivided into two groups according to the frequency of seizures: group A, children who were seizure free in the last year, and group B, children with at least six seizures in the previous year. Children with a poor response to anticonvulsant therapy had a more frequent personal history of neonatal seizures, an interval of less than 6 months between the first and the second seizures, and persistent abnormal electroencephalograms than the seizure-free patients and were often treated with polytherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verrotti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Latini
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giannuzzi
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cutarella
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trotta
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morgese
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D002220:Carbamazepine; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D010634:Phenobarbital