Centro-temporal benign epilepsy in Saudi children

A review of 36 interictal EEGs compatible with the diagnosis of benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) was made in this study. These children constituted 31% of the children with focal epileptic EEG activity observed in the same period. The dipolic spikes occurred either as a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Seizure (London, England) Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 139 - 144
Main Authors:	Kabiraj, Moh'd M.U., Rajeh, Saad Al, Awada, Adnan, Abduljabbar, Mohammad, Daif, Abdulkader, Tahan, Abdulrahman Al, Bunyan, Munira Al
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England Elsevier Ltd 01-04-1997
Subjects:	Adolescent Anticonvulsants - administration & dosage Anticonvulsants - adverse effects Cerebral Cortex - drug effects Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology Child Child, Preschool Electroencephalography - drug effects Epilepsies, Partial - diagnosis Epilepsies, Partial - drug therapy Epilepsies, Partial - physiopathology Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - diagnosis Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - drug therapy Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - physiopathology Evoked Potentials - drug effects Female Follow-Up Studies Humans Infant Male Retrospective Studies Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
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Summary:	A review of 36 interictal EEGs compatible with the diagnosis of benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) was made in this study. These children constituted 31% of the children with focal epileptic EEG activity observed in the same period. The dipolic spikes occurred either as a single focus (78%) or as two independent foci with a greater preponderance to the right (22%). The onset of seizures before the age of 5 years (Group I) is 53% and between 6 and 10 years (Group II) is 47%. Clinical evaluation showed that 60% of the patients in Group I and 75% in Group II had lateralized seizures, although all of them were initially diagnosed as nocturnal generalized tonic-clonic seizures. A follow-up study showed 31% complete recovery, 47% seizure-free under medications, 8% occasional seizures, 8% frequent seizures, and the rest 6% had a single seizure without medication. It is therefore concluded that the syndrome is common in Saudi Arabia and is usually unrecognized by the general physicians. The follow-up of our patients so far confirms the excellent prognosis.
ISSN:	1059-1311 1532-2688
DOI:	10.1016/S1059-1311(97)80068-4