Evaluation of drug-resistant focal epilepsy in the western Indian adult population

Abstract

Despite the best possible pharmacotherapy, 30% of persons with epilepsy will remain drug resistant. Drug resistant Epilepsy (DRE) has many different presentations and causes; hence evaluation may help to understand and manage appropriately. To study a cohort of adult patients with refractory focal epilepsy, focusing on clinical semiology, risk factors, imaging and video EEG findings. This is a prospective observational study done in adult neurology department of tertiary care hospital, from 2013 to 2016. The primary inclusion criteria were patients with drug refractory focal seizure (as per ILAE definition 2010), with age more than 12 years. Detailed clinical data, long term EEG monitoring, MRI and minimum follow up of 6 months were collected. Of 120 patients of DRE, 72% were in the age group of 12-30 yrs. Febrile seizure (26%) and head injury (17%) were the most significant antecedent history. Focal seizures with dyscognitive features were present in 87%. 16 patients had abnormal neurological examination. The most common radiological finding was mesial temporal sclerosis and gliosis. After complete evaluations, 30% of the patients were found to have pseudo-resistance. The evaluation led to modification of treatment in more than three-fourth of the patients. Early age of onset, history of febrile seizures, past history of head injury, focal dyscognitive type of seizures and structural lesion on imaging are common factors in patients with DRE. Pseudo- resistance due to wrong diagnosis and inadequate AEDs were responsible for one third of cases.