WITHDRAWAL OF ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS

Recent literature on withdrawing antiepileptic drug therapy in patient s who are seizure free on antiepileptic drugs is reviewed. The average recurrence risk across studies is 29% at 2 years. Factors such as age of onset, etiology of seizures, the electroencephalogram and the epil eptic syndrome influence outcome. Factors that need to be considered b y the clinician include not just the statistical risk of recurrence bu t also the consequences of a recurrence, which will be a function of a ge and sex.