THE DIAGNOSTIC HELP OF EEG FINDING IN 273 CHILDREN WITH FIRST A FEBRILE SEIZURE FOR EPILEPSY

Objectives: There are available data on the yield of an EEG recording in the children with epilepsy, although there is little information on EEG finding as help in supporting the diagnosis of an epileptic attack in patients with a first event suspected of being a seizure.

Methods: We reviewed files of 273 patients below the age of 15 years, which admitted in neurological department of ALI ASGHAR CHILDREN HOSPITAL during 1995–2003 with diagnosis of first attack a febril seizure. All patients underwent general medical and neurological examination, hematological and biochemical screening done using the t-test and chi square statistics as appropriate.

Results: 156 patients of this study were males. And 63%(173) of them were under the age of 7 years. 65% of our patients (177) had a seizure with unknown origin (idiopathic) and 35% had remote symptomatic seizure. 75% had generalize seizure (primarily or secondarily). Abnormal EEG was obtained in 75%, with epileptic form activity in 46% (18% focal, 25% generalize and 3% focal and generalize), slowing in 30% (18%generalize, 7% focal and 5% focal and generalize). Both slowing and epileptiform activity was seen in 20%. Epileptical activity was most common in younger patient less than 7 years 38% (65/170) compared with children more than 7years, 27%(38/103) and in patients with seizure of unknown origin 40% (71/177). Conclusion: We concluded that flowing a single attack seizure, children commonly have abnormal EEG recorded close in time to event. The EEG is especially helpful in supporting the epileptic nature of the clinical event in younger patients and with seizure with of unknown origin.