[An epidemiological, clinical and developmental study of 37 patients with early-onset benign occipital epilepsy of childhood].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the epidemiological, clinical and developmental characteristics of early-onset benign occipital epilepsy of childhood in order to facilitate its diagnostic suspicion in daily clinical practice.


METHODS
The medical records of 37 patients with early-onset benign occipital epilepsy of childhood were reviewed in order to collect epidemiological and clinical features, results of complementary examinations and developmental data. The diagnostic criteria applied were those of the ILAE (International League Against Epilepsy).


RESULTS
The mean age at diagnosis was 5.4 years. In all, 64.9% were diagnosed at a pre-school age, with a greater prevalence of females (67.6%). The mean number of seizures per patient was 3.3 and they were mainly characterised by impaired consciousness (90.3%), vomiting (70.1%), eye deviation and/or headaches (30.6%), and generalised (32.8%) or partial (11.2%) motor crises. Seizures occurred during sleep in 67.2% of cases. In 28 cases (75.7%) occipital paroxysms were observed that coexisted with generalised and/or multifocal paroxysms. Of all recurrences, 71.3% occurred during the first 6 months, and from 2 years onwards 82.9% of the patients had no seizures; no developmental differences were found between treated and non-treated patients. One patient with an atypical development was recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
Early-onset benign occipital epilepsy of childhood is relatively frequent at the paediatric age, especially in the pre-school years. Although its semiological sequence is quite characteristic, the fact that it lacks clinical and neurological specificity makes diagnostic suspicion more difficult. Its prognosis is especially favourable; however, since their progress may develop in an atypical manner, a rigorous developmental control of these patients would be of the highest priority.
Durá-Travé
T
T
Unidad de Neuropediatría, Hospital Materno-Infantil Virgen del Camino, 31008, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. tduratra@cfnavarra.es
Yoldi-Petri
M E
ME
Gallinas-Victoriano
F
F
Gurtubay
I G
IG
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
D000927:Anticonvulsants