title: Long-term levetiracetam treatment in patients with epilepsy: 3-year follow up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the long-term efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam in routine clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analysed 218 patients, mostly adults, presenting mostly with localisation-related epilepsy, treated with levetiracetam as adjunctive therapy or monotherapy for up to 36 months. The primary points evaluated were: long-term retention rate, reasons for discontinuing levetiracetam and the percentage of seizure-free patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The retention rate at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months following the commencement of levetiracetam treatment was 91.7, 75.2, 60.1 and 53.7% respectively. Sixty-seven (30.7%) patients discontinued levetiracetam treatment. During the clinical audit evaluation period, surgical resection or implantation of VNS was performed in 31 (14.3%) patients. In 53 of the 67 patients (79.1%), the treatment was discontinued due to lack of efficacy; in 14 patients (20.9%) treatment was discontinued due to adverse events. In total, 24 of 218 patients (11.0%) were seizure-free for 36 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levetiracetam is an effective and well-tolerated option for long-term treatment of epilepsy in adults.
authors.affiliation: Brno Epilepsy Centre, First Department of Neurology, St. Anne's Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. robert.kuba@fnusa.cz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Novotná
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brázdil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kocvarová
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tyrlíková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mastík
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rektor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010889:Piracetam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam