title: Eyelid myoclonia with absences occurring during the clinical course of cryptogenic myoclonic epilepsy of early childhood.
abstract: We describe a 15-year-old boy with learning difficulties and eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA). Myoclonic jerks of the extremities and trunk occurred 9 years before the onset of EMA, when the patient was 6. At that time, we diagnosed him with cryptogenic myoclonic epilepsy of early childhood, because he manifested mainly myoclonic jerks with generalized 3- to 6-Hz spike/polyspike-and-slow-wave complexes on EEG, normal neurological examination, good response to antiepileptic drugs, and no evidence of previous brain damage. This is an unusual case showing that myoclonic epilepsy of early childhood can evolve to EMA. Although the question of whether EMA is a seizure type or an epilepsy syndrome remains controversial, our case suggests that EMA is a seizure type during the clinical course of a particular kind of myoclonic epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohya
authors.forename: Yushiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Ikuhiko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Munetsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagamitsu
authors.forename: Toyojiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants