Clinical and Electrophysiological Prognostic Factors of Childhood Absence Epilepsy

INTRODUCTION: Childhood absence epilepsy is a common idiopathic epilepsy in childhood. This epilepsy, which has been shown to impair cognition, needs to be treated promptly and correctly. Therefore, determining the prognostic factors before treatment can provide a prediction about the duration of treatment, drug selection, and drug dosage.
METHODS: Electroencephalography (EEG) and clinical findings of patients diagnosed with childhood absence epilepsy who were monitored for at least 12 months in the pediatric neurology clinics of two university hospitals were reviewed retrospectively between 2006 and 2010. The patients were divided into two groups as responsive and unresponsive, according to seizures, EEG findings, and recurrent seizures after treatment. The epidemiological and clinical features of the two groups were compared.
RESULTS: Sixty-three patients who were diagnosed with childhood absence epilepsy according to the Panayiotopoulos criteria participated in the study. 39 (62%) of the patients were responsive to treatment (Group 1), the remaining 24 patients (38%) (group 2) were unresponsive to treatment. Fifteen patients were treatment-resistant, and nine patients relapsed after drug discontinuation in group 2. The mean age of the patients was 7.87±1.68. The mean follow-up period was 29.1±13.6 (13-72 months) months. The mean age was lower in the responding group of patients
The time between the onset of seizures and treatment was significantly longer in group 2. The number of patients with OIRDA in the responding group was higher. A significant difference was found in the number of spike-slow wave complex and amplitude of discharges between the two groups.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, the young age was an advantage for the treatment response. Early initiation of treatment, OIRDA was a good prognostic factor, while high amplitude and numerous discharges were among the poor prognostic factors.