Clinical and Demographic Profile of Patients with Active Epilepsy: Experience From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Turkey

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: To investigate the clinical and demographic findings of patients at epilepsy outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed one hundred and eighty-seven patients with active epilepsy who admitted to our epilepsy clinic between January 2016 and February 2018. In addition to demographic characteristics, we evaluated clinical variables such as; seizure frequency, duration of illness, type of seizures, antiepileptics, electroencephalographic (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients were 36,9 ± 13,1 years; and 54.5% were male. Family history of epilepsy was found in 48 patients (25.7%), and 35 patients (18.7%) had a kinship between parents. The most frequent risk factors were head trauma, febrile convulsions and perinatal problems. Partial seizures was seen in 67.9 %, generalised seizures in 29.3% and unclassified seizures in 2.7%. Brain MRI of 107 patients (57.2%) and interictal EEG of 57 patients (30.5%) was normal. A total of 116 (62%) received monotherapy, while 71 (38%) continued on polytherapy. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, clinical and demographic data of the patients were consistent with the literature. We believe that detailed examination with regular follow- up in comprehensive epilepsy clinics would provide a potential benefit in preventing seizures and better outcome

Aktif Epilepsili Hastaların Klinik ve Demografik Profili: Türkiye'deki Bir Üçüncü Basamak Hastanesinin Deneyimleri

ÖZ GİRİŞ ve AMAÇ: Üçüncü basamak bir hastanede epilepsi polikliniğine başvuran hastaların klinik ve demografik bulgularını araştırmak. YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: Ocak 2016 - Şubat 2018 tarihleri arasında epilepsi polikliniğine başvuran aktif epilepsili 187 hasta retrospektif olarak incelendi. Demografik özelliklerin yanı sıra; nöbet sıklığı, hastalık süresi, nöbet tipi, antiepileptikler, elektroensefalografik (EEG) ve manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (MRG) bulguları kaydedildi. BULGULAR: Hastaların yaş ortalaması 36,9 ± 13,1; ve % 54,5'i erkekti. Ailede epilepsi öyküsü 48 hastada (% 25.7) bulundu. 35 hastada (% 18.7) ebeveynler arasında akrabalık vardı. En sık görülen risk faktörleri kafa travması, febril konvülsiyon ve perinatal problemler idi. Fokal nöbetler % 67.9, jeneralize nöbetler% 29.3, sınıflandırılamayan nöbetler% 2.7 idi. 107 hastanın (% 57.2) beyin MR'ı ve 57 hastanın (% 30.5) interiktal EEG'si normaldi. Hastaların toplam 116'sı (% 62) monoterapi alırken, 71'i (% 38) polyterapiye almaktaydı. TARTIŞMA ve SONUÇ: Bu çalışmada, hastaların klinik ve demografik verileri literatür ile uyumlu idi. Kapsamlı epilepsi kliniklerinde düzenli takip ile yapılan ayrıntılı muayenenin nöbetlerin önlenmesinde ve daha iyi sonuç alınmasında potansiyel bir fayda sağlayacağına inanıyoruz.

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