[A descriptive study of non-symptomatic epilepsy according to age at onset at a Neuropediatric Section of regional reference].
OBJECTIVE
A descriptive study of non-symptomatic epilepsy (idiopathic and cryptogenic), according to age at onset, monitored at a Neuropediatric Section of regional reference over a period of three years.


METHODS
A review of neuropediatric database medical records of children with non-symptomatic epilepsy supervised from Jan 1, 2008 till December 31, 2010.


RESULTS
Of the 4595 children attended during the period, 605 were diagnosed with epilepsy (13.17%): 156 (25.79%) idiopathic epilepsies and 172 (28.43%) cryptogenic epilepsies. The average age at onset of the total was 4.78 years: 6.31 years in idiopathic epilepsies and 5.43 years in cryptogenic epilepsies. 26.12% of all the epilepsies began in the first year of life. Idiopathic epilepsy predominates in the startup group of 6-10 years and cryptogenic epilepsy in 3-6 years. Absence epilepsy and benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes are the idiopathic epileptic syndromes most prevalent.


CONCLUSIONS
Many differences exist among published epidemiological data on childhood epilepsy due to the difficulty of a syndromic diagnosis in children, caused by clinical and electroencephalographic variability. The absence of a universally accepted classification of epileptic syndromes makes it difficult to compare publications. All epilepsies are symptomatic as they have a cause, whether it be genetic or acquired. A useful classification would be etiological, with two groups: one large with established etiology or very likely genetic syndromes and another with no established cause. The age at onset indicates specific etiologies.
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
L
L
Ochoa-Gomez
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
J
J
Lopez-Pison
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
R
R
Fernando-Martinez
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
C
C
Fuertes-Rodrigo
Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
P
P
Samper-Villagrasa
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
L
L
Monge-Galindo
HUMS. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Espana.
J L
JL
Pena-Segura
D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D013577:Syndrome