Outcome of prolonged video-EEG monitoring at a typical referral epilepsy center.
OBJECTIVE
When seizures do not respond to medications, video-EEG monitoring is the best available diagnostic tool and is the principal activity of epilepsy centers. The purpose of this study was to analyze the eventual disposition of patients who undergo video-EEG monitoring at a typical referral epilepsy center.


METHODS
We reviewed the diagnoses and dispositions of all patients (adults and children) who underwent inpatient video-EEG monitoring (> or = 24 h) at our center (University of South Florida-Tampa General Hospital) over a 1-year period (2002).


RESULTS
In total, 251 inpatient video-EEG monitoring sessions were performed. Nonepileptic seizures were diagnosed in 75 (30%); 58 (23%) were found to be surgical candidates; seven were implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator. In 47 (19%) patients, seizures were recorded, and the diagnosis of epilepsy was confirmed and clarified (symptomatic/cryptogenic generalized epilepsy, seven; localization-related epilepsy, 35; idiopathic generalized epilepsy, five).


CONCLUSIONS
The eventual outcome of video-EEG monitoring is diverse. The largest groups, as expected, are psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (30%), and surgery (23%).
University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital, Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Tampa, Florida, USA. sbenbadi@hsc.usf.edu
Selim R
SR
Benbadis
Edward
E
O'Neill
William O
WO
Tatum
Leanne
L
Heriaud
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D014743:Videotape Recording