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Risk Factors Predicting Refractoriness in Epileptic Children with Partial Seizures

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Çukurova University, Medical Faculty, Turkey, sakira{at}cu.edu.tr

Ozlem Herguner, MD

Department of Pediatric Neurology, Çukurova University, Medical Faculty, Turkey

H. Refik Burgut, PhD

Department of Biostatistics, Çukurova University, Medical Faculty, Adana, Turkey

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the risk factors associated with intractability to therapy in childhood epilepsy. Fifty children with intractable epilepsy as evidenced by at least 1 epileptic fit per month were included in the study group, whereas the control group consisted of children who did not experience any recurrent seizure for at least 1 year at the time of the study. A ² test was used to evaluate the relationship between the test variables for the 2 groups, and the estimated relative risk (odds ratio) for each variable was calculated. The risk factors were subsequently determined by logistic multiple regression analysis. Univariate analysis showed that mental retardation, neurological abnormality, neuroradiological abnormality, perinatal anoxia, neonatal convulsion, presence of status epilepticus, and symptomatic etiology were significant risk factors for the development of refractory epilepsy (P < .05). For multivariate logistic regression analysis, age at seizure onset, status epilepticus, mixed type of seizures, and history of frequent seizures (more than once a month) were all found to be significant and independent risk factors for refractory epilepsy, and the number of drugs used in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .05). In line with these findings, it was concluded that children who present with epilepsy and have these risk factors should be referred to a center where epileptic surgery is carried out without delay.

Key Words: intractable epilepsy • partial seizure • children • risk factor

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