Syndromic classification of patients with typical absence seizures

• Published in: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria Vol. 61; no. 3A; pp. 580 - 587
• Main Authors: Guilhoto, Laura M F F, Manreza, Maria Luíza G, Yacubian, Elza M T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO 01-09-2003; Academia Brasileira de Neurologia (ABNEURO)
• Subjects: absence epilepsy; Adolescent; Adult; Age of Onset; Child; Child, Preschool; classification; Electroencephalography; Epilepsies, Myoclonic - classification; Epilepsies, Myoclonic - physiopathology; epilepsy syndromes; Epilepsy, Absence - classification; Epilepsy, Absence - physiopathology; Follow-Up Studies; generalized epilepsy; Humans; idiopathic epilepsy; Infant; Middle Aged; Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile - diagnosis; NEUROSCIENCES; PSYCHIATRY; Syndrome; síndromes epilépticas; absence epilepsy; idiopathic epilepsy; epilepsy syndromes; epilepsia idiopática; classificação; epilepsia ausência; generalized epilepsy; epilepsia generalizada; classification
• ISSN: 0004-282X; 1678-4227; 0004-282X; 1678-4227
• DOI: 10.1590/S0004-282X2003000400010

The aim of this study is to compare ILAE classification (1989) and Panayiotopoulos' criteria (1997) for absence epilepsies. We studied 455 typical absences (ILAE, 1981) by video-EEG in 43 patients with normal neurological and neuroradiological examinations and interictal EEG with spike-wave complexes higher than 2.5Hz. Syndromic diagnosis was possible in 60.5% and 67.4% of the patients using ILAE classification and Panayiotopoulos' proposal, respectively. According to ILAE criteria 19 patients had childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), five juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), one juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and one epilepsy with specific modes of seizure precipitation. According to Panayiotopoulos' proposal, 10 had CAE, 14 JAE, one JME, three myoclonic absence epilepsy and one eyelid myoclonia with absences. We conclude that Panayiotopoulos' criteria and ILAE classification for absence epilepsies, which did not allow for the classification of 32.6% and 39.5% of cases, respectively, were still insufficient to classify all patients under specific diagnosis.