Objective: Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) was one type of focal status epilepticus. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and electroencephalography (EEG) characteristics, and outcome of 57 child-onset patients with EPC according to different etiologies, and further explore the electro-clinical-etiological associations.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 57 children diagnosed with EPC in our department over last ten years. Etiology, clinical and EEG data, and outcome were categorized and analyzed.
Results: For the 57 child-onset patients, EPC was caused by different etiologies, including immune-related disease (43.9%), focal lesions (17.5%), inborn errors of metabolism (24.6%), and unknown (14.0%). EEG background abnormalities showed generalized slowing in 45 patients (78.9%) and focal slowing in two patients (3.5%). Nineteen patients (33.3%) presented clear correlation of ictal EEG/EMG and the remaining 38 patients (66.7%) showed no clear correlation of ictal EEG/EMG. Both EEG background activity and ictal EEG/EMG correspondence among different etiologies had statistical significance (P<0.05). The ictal patterns without clear EEG/EMG correspondence in immune-related disease and the ictal patterns with clear EEG/EMG correspondence in focal lesions were more prominent (P<0.05).
Conclusion: This is the first study of child-onset EPC with a large series in a pediatric epilepsy center in China. The most common cause for EPC was immune-related disease. The EEG background activity and the EEG/EMG correspondence might be influenced by the etiologies of EPC to some degree. These findings might guide the direction of EPC diagnosis in conjunction with other examinations.
Keywords: Children; Clinical; Electroencephalography; Epilepsia partialis continua; Etiology.
Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.