Clinical Features of Intractable Epilepsy in Japanese Children
Corresponding Author
Toru Kurokawa M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3–1–1 Mashidashi, Higa-shi-ku, Fukuoka 812, Japan.Search for more papers by this authorKouhei Akazawa Ph.D.
*Information Science Laboratory for Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorShigeru Tomita M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorIkuko Kitamoto M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorYasufumi Maeda M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorKanji Sakamoto M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorYoshiaki Nose M.D.
*Information Science Laboratory for Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Toru Kurokawa M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3–1–1 Mashidashi, Higa-shi-ku, Fukuoka 812, Japan.Search for more papers by this authorKouhei Akazawa Ph.D.
*Information Science Laboratory for Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorShigeru Tomita M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorIkuko Kitamoto M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorYasufumi Maeda M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorKanji Sakamoto M.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorYoshiaki Nose M.D.
*Information Science Laboratory for Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Abstract: The clinical features of refractory epilepsy were studied in comparison between 135 patients in a refractory group and 103 in a controlled group. All the children were Japanese. The clinical features of the refractory group were the onset of epilepsy during the first year of life, absence of family history, retarded development before the onset, phakomatoses, daily or week>y seizures, secondarily generalized epilepsy, and marked EEG abnormalities at the initial visit, a change of types in epilepsy, no improvement in EEG findings, mental deterioration or severe retardation during the follow-up. The number of drugs was increased and relatively new drugs such as carbamazepine, valproic acid or clonazepam were frequently administered. The side effects, including gum hypertrophy, drowsiness, hypertrichosis, ataxia or increased serum-GTP, were more frequent in the refractory group.
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