SPECTRUM OF EPILEPSY IN NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS - A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF143 PATIENTS

To characterize the clinical profile and the prognostic factors of the epilepsy due to parenchymal neurocysticercosis (NCC) 143 patients wer e analysed. Patients (62 men, 81 women) had a mean age at epilepsy ons et of 29 years (range 2-71), mean epilepsy duration of 16 years (range 1-58) and mean follow-up of 5.2 years. Seizures were generalised toni c-clonic (GTC) in 50 patients (35%), simple partial (SP) in 66 (46%) a nd complex partial (CP) in 27 (19%). Epilepsy began as a single seizur e in 73% and as a cluster of seizures or status epilepticus in 27%. Se izures were controlled in 64% of patients. Multivariate analysis revea led that significant prognostic factors associated with seizure contro l were type of seizures and age at epilepsy onset. Control is more lik ely in GTC and SP seizures and in patients with a higher age at seizur es onset. Our analysis establishes that epilepsy due to NCC is a heter ogeneous syndrome concerning age and mode of onset, seizure type, dura tion of epilepsy and pattern of evolution probably related with differ ent pathogenic mechanisms.