Characteristics of epilepsy occurring in the first four months.
BACKGROUND
Epilepsies with an onset during the early infantile period are relatively rare and their characteristics are not well recognized. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of epilepsies with an onset during the early infantile period.


METHODS
Clinical information on 73 patients with the onset of epilepsy within the first four months was collected from hospitals affiliated with Nagoya University. Patients were categorized into three groups: the idiopathic (20 patients), cryptogenic (19 patients), and symptomatic groups (34 patients).


RESULTS
Fourteen (70%) of the 20 patients in the idiopathic group, nine (47%) of the 19 patients in the cryptogenic group, and 10 (29%) of the 34 patients in the symptomatic group had their first seizure within the first month of life. All patients in the idiopathic group, 12 patients (63%) in the cryptogenic group, and 18 patients (53%) in the symptomatic group had partial seizures (PS) alone throughout their clinical course. Four patients in the cryptogenic group and nine in the symptomatic group had PS at the onset, but evolved into spasms later. All patients in the idiopathic group, 13 patients (68%) in the cryptogenic group, and 13 patients (38%) in symptomatic group had experienced no seizures for at least one year at the time of the last follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with non-idiopathic epilepsy, an age-dependent evolution of seizure types was often observed. Recognition of this subgroup of patients could be important for the identification of appropriate candidates for early epilepsy surgery.
Department of Pediatrics, Anjo Kosei Hospital, Aichi, Japan. Electronic address: fukasawa@kosei.anjo.aichi.jp.
Tatsuya
T
Fukasawa
Department of Neurology, Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center, Aichi, Japan.
Motomasa
M
Suzuki
Department of Pediatrics, Okazaki City Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Toru
T
Kato
Department of Pediatrics, Okazaki City Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Fumio
F
Hayakawa
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Aichi Prefectural Colony Central Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Kiyokuni
K
Miura
Department of Pediatrics, Anjo Kosei Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Kidokoro
Department of Pediatrics, Anjo Kosei Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Tetsuo
T
Kubota
Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Akihisa
A
Okumura
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Aichi Prefectural Colony Central Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Koichi
K
Maruyama
Department of Pediatrics, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya First Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Yoko
Y
Hishikawa
Department of Neurology, Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center, Aichi, Japan.
Kazuya
K
Itomi
Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan.
Tamiko
T
Negoro
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Aichi Shukutoku University, Aichi, Japan.
Kazuyoshi
K
Watanabe
Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan.
Jun
J
Natsume
D017668:Age of Onset; D018450:Disease Progression; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Early infantile onset; Epilepsy; Prognosis; Seizure