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Benign versive or circling epilepsy with bilateral 3‐cps spike‐and‐wave discharges in late childhood
Author(s) -
Gastaut Henri,
Aguglia Umberto,
Tinuper Paolo
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410190316
Subject(s) - spike and wave , epilepsy , ictal , electroencephalography , medicine , pediatrics , petit mal , phenobarbital , anesthesia , psychology , audiology , psychiatry
Twenty‐eight of 920 patients seen between the ages of 8 and 20 years for a first seizure manifested versive or circling events associated with bilateral rhythmic 3‐cps spike‐and‐wave discharges. In 21 (75%), the seizures appeared between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Paroxysmal adversion or gyration was always toward the same side in a given patient. “Break of contact” during the ictus was found in 70% of the seizures, and secondary generalization occurred in half. Ictal electroencephalographic recordings failed to show a focal hemispheric origin. Additional features were: absence of prior major diseases; normal results of neurological and neuroradiological examinations; excellent response to anticonvulsant treatment with sodium valproate and/or phenobarbital; frequent family history of epileptic seizures (25% of patients); and association with generalized seizures (57.2% of patients). We conclude that versive or circling epilepsy with bilateral rhythmic 3‐cps spike‐and‐wave discharges represents a benign form of primary generalized epilepsy in late childhood.