Epilepsy in Children in Navarre, Spain: Epileptic Seizure Types and Epileptic Syndromes

Abstract

Data for children 1 month to 15 years of age at the time of diagnosis of epilepsy were recorded from the children's hospital “Virgen del Camino” in Pamplona (Spain) from January to December 2005. International League Against Epilepsy criteria were used for diagnoses. A total of 365 children were recruited into the study. Mean age at diagnosis was 5.97 years, and time of follow-up was 4.6 years. Etiology was idiopathic in 166 (45.5%), cryptogenic in 106 (29.0%), and symptomatic in 93 (25.5%). Focal seizures were seen in 52.9% of the patients, generalized epilepsy in 43.5%, and 3.6% were not determined. In infants, West syndrome (34.1%) and focal symptomatic seizures (24.4%) were the most prevalent syndromes. In early childhood, the main syndromes were cryptogenic focal epilepsies (17.7%) and Doose syndrome (12.8%). In school-aged children, benign epilepsies (27.3%) and absences (24.5%) were prevalent. In adolescents, cryptogenic focal epilepsies (26.6%) and benign epilepsies (23.4%).