Does epilepsy occur more frequently in children with Type 1 diabetes?
OBJECTIVE
Hypoglycaemic seizures are common in children with diabetes and electroencephalogram abnormalities are well recognised in this patient group. Elevated antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, a major auto-antigen in Type 1 diabetes, are also implicated in a number of neurological disorders. Despite these associations, the question of whether children with diabetes are more prone to epilepsy, possibly as a result of lowered seizure threshold, has not been previously studied. We aimed to determine the prevalence and type of epilepsy in a large paediatric diabetes clinic.


METHODS
An audit by chart review was carried out at the Diabetes Clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Clinical, demographical, biochemical, EEG and neuro-imaging data were recorded.


RESULTS
Of 1384 children and adolescents aged 0-19 years with Type 1 diabetes, we identified 12 with active epilepsy (prevalence of 8.7/1000), the majority of whom had idiopathic generalised epilepsy and benign focal epilepsy of childhood. These findings are similar to those in the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
Childhood epilepsy is no more frequently encountered in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes than in the general paediatric population.
O'Connell
Michele A
MA
Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia. michele.oconnell@rch.org.au
Harvey
A Simon
AS
Mackay
Mark T
MT
Cameron
Fergus J
FJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000378:metabolism; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin