Aetiology and treatment of epilepsy in a series of 1,557 patients

Introduction. The aetiology of epilepsy is an important decisive factor in its treatment and prognosis. Diagnostic and therapeutic advances suggest that the causal distribution, treatment and prognosis of the population with epilepsy may have undergone some modification. Aim. To describe the distribution of syndromes, aetiology and pharmacological treatment in patients with epilepsy. Patients and methods. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of patients with epilepsy who were treated consecutively in our epilepsy department. Demographic data were collected, together with information about syndromes, aetiology and pharmacological treatment at the time of eligibility. The data were analysed jointly and by age groups. Results. Altogether 1,557 patients were included, 54% of them males. Seventy-three per cent of the sample had focal epilepsy, which was secondary to a structural lesion in 56% of patients. Generalised epilepsies accounted for 20%. Five per cent were unclassifiable. By ages, vascular causation predominated in practically all the groups and its prevalence increased with age. The most commonly used antiepileptic drugs were valproic acid (29%), levetiracetam (27%) and carbamazepine (20%). Seventy per cent of the generalised epilepsies and 57% of the focal ones were on monotherapy treatment. Conclusions. The prevalence by age groups was similar to that reported in developed countries, although a lower prevalence of cryptogenic epilepsies was observed. More than 60% of patients followed monotherapy and valproic acid was the most widely used. © 2013 Revista de Neurología.