[The familial incidence of epilepsy in the group of epileptic patients examined after their first seizure--pilot study].
BACKGROUND
It is essential to identify the genetic factors of epilepsy in the every day clinical practice for several reasons. The proof of the genetically defined sub-clusters existing inside the epileptic disease group is significant in diagnoses and therapy. The risk of inheriting epilepsy could influence the patient's family planning which has a great impact on their quality of life.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse clinical data obtained from patients examined after their first provoked or unprovoked seizure and the observation of the recurrence of seizures. To compare the data obtained with the familial occurrence of epilepsy.


METHODS
Data was obtained from a questionnaire developed by the authors. The epileptic patients with positive familial data underwent to an analysis of their family tree.


RESULTS
Of 120 persons who were examined the prevalence of epilepsy in their family was 20.4%. This corresponds to the familial prevalence of generalised epilepsy according to the published clinical data. The recurrence of seizures was experienced by 32% of the patients with a family background affected by epilepsy. The risk of recurring seizures was the highest if the familial epilepsy manifested itself in the same generation (among brothers or sisters) and if we were able to register epileptiform activity on the interictal EEG. According to our clinical data the genetic set up can play a role also in the provoked first epileptic seizure. The incidence of familial epilepsy was found high (12.72%) in the presence of incidental epileptic seizures when the EEG was free of epileptiform alterations.


CONCLUSIONS
1. The genetic basis for the first epileptic seizure in the population of young adults approaches the data known in idiopathic generalised epilepsy irrespective of the fact whether it was related to the seizure provoking factors or not. 2. The risk of seizure reactivation was higher in non-provoked seizures then at .the incidental epileptic symptoms. Seizure reactivation had to be taken into consideration when epileptiform patterns appeared on the patient's EEG and/or epileptic symptoms were experienced by the patient's brother or sister. The probability of recurring seizures was lower if the epileptic seizures manifested in parents or earlier generations.
Rózsavölgyi
Margit
M
Neurológiai Osztály, Budapest. margit@hirschberg.hu
Rajna
Péter
P
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires