SEIZURE SEMIOLOGY OF OCCIPITAL LOBE EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN

Purpose: Occipital lobe epilepsy in children occurs as an idiopathic f orm, i.e., Benign Epilepsy with Occipital Paroxysms (BEOP), and a symp tomatic form. This study attempted to determine whether seizure semiol ogy could distinguish between the two forms. Methods: Fifty children ( 34 boys, 16 girls) with clinical seizures and interictal EEGs presenti ng occipital spikes were included consecutively in the study. Seizure onset was between the ages of 2 months and 15 years. Epilepsy was cons idered symptomatic when psychomotor retardation and/or abnormalities a t neurological and/or neuroradiological examination were found: 17 chi ldren were classified as idiopathic, and the remaining 33 children wer e classified as symptomatic. Seizure semiology was assessed by means o f a structured interview of the children and their parents, using a de tailed questionnaire. Seizure semiology was determined to comprise mot or (versive or other movements of the eyes, versive movements of the h ead, (hemiconvulsions), visual, other signs (e.g. vomiting and headach e), and impairment of consciousness. Results: There were no statistica lly significant differences in seizure semiology between the two group s. Conclusions: Seizure semiology cannot distinguish between different forms of occipital lobe epilepsy: Further clinical examination, clini cal neurophysiological investigations, and neuroimaging studies are ne eded for a correct classification.