title: Early seizures predict the development of epilepsy in children and adolescents with stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify risk factors for the development of epilepsy after pediatric stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of hospital charts of 93 children and adolescents with post-neonatal non-traumatic stroke and a minimum follow-up of two years. Seizures during the first 48 h after onset of stroke symptoms were defined as "early seizures"; when two or more seizures occurred after this period, the patient was classified as "epileptic".
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early seizures, young age at stroke and MRI evidence of cortical involvement were observed more frequently in the children who developed epilepsy. These factors were, however, significantly interrelated; a stepwise multiple regression analysis in 46/93 patients with complete datasets identified only the occurrence of early seizures as a significant risk factor: 15/19 (79%) children with early seizures developed epilepsy, as opposed to only 7/53 (13%) without early seizures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with stroke who show seizures during the first 48 h after onset of stroke symptoms have a high risk to develop post-stroke epilepsy, whereas in children without early seizures, post-stroke epilepsy is rare.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany; Department of Epileptology, Children's Center Munich, Center for Social Pediatrics, Heiglhofstr. 63, D-81377 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: ina.breitweg@kbo.de.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Breitweg
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany; Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Celina von
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Stülpnagel
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.affiliation: Dept. Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, University Children's Hospital, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 1, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lidzba
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holthausen
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany; Dept. Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, University Children's Hospital, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 1, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staudt
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Neurorehabilitation, Epilepsy Center for Children and Adolescents, Schön Klinik, Krankenhausstr. 20, D-83569 Vogtareuth, Germany; Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kluger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications
keywords: Childhood stroke; Early seizures; Epilepsy; Risk factors