COMPARISON BETWEEN ONE AND 3 YEARS OF TREATMENT IN UNCOMPLICATED CHILDHOOD EPILEPSY - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY .1. OUTCOME IN DIFFERENT SEIZURE TYPES

Purpose: The main purpose of this prospective study was to analyze whe ther 1 year of treatment was as effective as 3 years with respect to r emission rate in children with idiopathic epilepsy. Methods: Treatment for epileptic seizures was started in 207 children aged 2-16 years, T hey were randomized to treatment for 1 or 3 years. At the end of the p redetermined treatment period, 161 children had been seizure-free for 6 months and the treatment could be gradually withdrawn. Results: The overall remission rate in our group of patients was significantly high er (71%) in the group treated for 3 years than in the group treated fo r 1 year (53%). However, comparison of remission rates between patient s with different seizure types showed statistically significant differ ences in outcome depending on duration of treatment only in children w ith complex partial seizures (CPS). Conclusions: Our results show that 1 year of treatment can be recommended in children with benign partia l epilepsy with rolandic spikes (BECT) and in children with simple par tial seizures (SPS) but is clearly insufficient in children with CPS, A proper seizure classification is one important tool, although not su fficient, in offering recommendations concerning the duration of treat ment in children with idiopathic epilepsy.