title: [Control of epilepsy in adult patients with tuberous sclerosis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic disease, the main manifestations of which are the formation of neuroectodermal tumours, which are very often associated to secondary epilepsy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epileptic profile, control, frequency of seizures and effectiveness of treatment in adult patients with tuberous sclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was descriptive and included adult patients (over 14 years of age) with a confirmed diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis. Both the frequency and type of seizures were analysed. A study was conducted to analyse and record the number of different antiepileptic drugs in each patient and the frequency of use of each active ingredient, and the control of seizures and the type of therapy were also included in another comparative study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 19 adults who were studied, 16 of them (84%) had epileptic seizures. Results showed that 44%, 25% and 31% of them presented full control of seizures, sporadic seizures and frequent seizures, respectively. A certain frequency of focal, general and both types of seizures existed in 38%, 6% and 25%, respectively. Likewise, 38%, 44% and 19% of them were under treatment with antiepileptic drugs in monotherapy, bitherapy and tritherapy, respectively. Overall, the most commonly consumed drug was levetiracetam, followed by carbamazepine and valproic acid. In monotherapy the most common was carbamazepine, with a higher proportion of full control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epilepsy in tuberous sclerosis is relatively benign and an acceptable degree of control is achieved in most cases with a number of the antiepileptic drugs recommended in the treatment guidelines. In our series, we observed stability of involvement and there was no progression to a malignant status. The small number of individuals in the sample limits the study, but the proportions of treatment effectiveness are seen to be similar to those observed in another series published in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, España. alexgtneuro@gmail.com
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallardo-Tur
authors.forename: Guillermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Martín
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Chamorro-Muñoz
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero-Godoy
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romero-Acebal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014402:Tuberous Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants