ObjectiveTo observe the children with idiopathic epilepsy who received AED therapy and seizure-free, withdrawal at least 1 year, and analyze the risk factors of seizure recurrence. In order to give better instructions for AED withdrawal of children with idiopathic epilepsy in pediatric department. MethodsChildren with idiopathic epilepsy who were seizure-free and had stopped AED treatment at least 1 year before the deadline of observation were collected from pediatric outpatient and inpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2011 to January 2014. The following variables, derived from the case records were analyzed: sex, age at seizure onset, type of seizure, time period between the onset of the first seizure and start of treatment, number of seizures in the time period between the start of AED therapy and the last seizure, number of AEDs before remission, time period between the start of AED therapy and the last seizure, time period between the last seizure and withdrawal of AED treatment (seizure-free period, timing of AED withdrawal), time period between the start of AED withdrawal and total discontinuation(speed of withdrawal), EEG registered at the time of diagnosis, before AED withdrawal, during and after AED withdrawal, and the condition of recurrence, data analysed by multi-variate step-wise Cox regression model analysis. ResultsA total of 16(12.8%) children relapsed in a total number of 125 children with idiopathic epilepsy we collected; date evaluated by multi-variable analysis showed that the children suffering from seizure type of focal seizure, starting withdrawal after a seizure-free period of less than 3 years and with abnormal post-withdrawal EEG recording was associated with a higher risk of seizure recurrence. ConclusionsChildren with idiopathic epilepsy have a low risk of recurrence after AED withdrawal. Those who suffer from seizure type of focal seizure, start withdrawal after a seizure-free period of less than 3 years and with abnormal post-withdrawal EEG recording are associated with a higher risk of seizure recurrence.
ObjectiveUsing retrospective study to analyze the data of 112 patients with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) and investigate the clinical characteristics and provide some clinical experience in treatment. MethodsWe collected the medical records of 112 cases of BECTS children in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University of children's clinics from January 2011 to December 2012. According to whether taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) treatment regularly, the 112 cases with BECTS was divided into the treated group and the non-treated group, then analyzed the clinical characteristics between the two groups retrospectively, including age of onset, single episode duration, frequency of seizure, pattern of seizure and EEG performances. ResultsThrough regular AEDs treatment, the duration of a single attack was shortened, generalized tonic-clonic seizure(GTCS) was decreased significantly in the treatment group (P < 0.05). For patients whose seizure frequency was≥3 times/3 months, AEDs could effectively control or reduce their seizure frequency (P < 0.05), while AEDs had no obvious effect on the seizure frequency of those whose seizure frequency was≤2 times/3 months (P > 0.05). In the treatment group, 29 cases whose age < 7 controlled their epilepsy attacks after taking AEDs for average of 13.76 months, while 35 cases whose age≥7 controlled their epilepsy attacks after taking AEDs for average of 6.36 months. Conclusion①BECTS patients with a long duration of a single attack and seizure frequency more than 3 times/3 months could be effectively controlled after receiving early AEDs treatment.②The younger age of onset (< 7 years old) required longer AEDs treatment to control seizures.