Population-based survey on prevalence of adult patients with epilepsy in Taiwan (Keelung community-based integrated screening no. 12).
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence rate and patterns of adult patients with epilepsy in Taiwan, we conducted a community-based neuroepidemiological survey.


METHODS
Epilepsy was detected by neurologists using one-stage method. It was integrated into a community health screening service and performed from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 in Keelung, a northern city in Taiwan. A total of 13,663 subjects aged 30 years or older participated in this survey.


RESULTS
There were 52 patients with epilepsy in this study. Among them, 37 were patients with active epilepsy. The age-adjusted prevalence rate of active epilepsy above 30 years old was 2.77/1000 (to the 1980 US population) with the highest rate in subjects aged 40-49 years (4.0/1000). There was a trend of higher prevalence rate in male than in female. The most common seizure type was complex partial seizure (46.0%). Using one-stage detection method, we found nine (24.3%) patients with active epilepsy who had never been diagnosed before. Among the patients with active epilepsy, 35.1% were symptomatic cases. Head injury (13.5%) is the leading cause, followed by CNS infection (8.1%), stroke (5.4%) and perinatal insult (5.4%). The lifetime prevalence rate of epilepsy (including active epilepsy and epilepsy in remission) was 3.14/1000 for age above 30 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Comparing to previous epilepsy survey in 1993, our results showed that the prevalence rate of epilepsy was rather stable over the past decade in northern Taiwan. Head injury is the leading cause responsible for active epilepsy. Improving public safety is an important public health issue which may help to reduce occurrence of epilepsy.
Chen
Chih-Chuan
CC
Department of Neurology and Pharmacology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, 1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
Chen
Ta-Fu
TF
Hwang
Yuarn-Chung
YC
Wen
Ying-Rong
YR
Chiu
Yueh-Hsia
YH
Wu
Chia-Yun
CY
Chen
Rong-Chi
RC
Chen
Tony Hsiu-Hsi
TH
Liou
Horng-Huei
HH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000150:complications; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology