FAMILIAL OCCURRENCE OF EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN WITH NEWLY-DIAGNOSED MULTIPLE SEIZURES - DUTCH STUDY OF EPILEPSY IN CHILDHOOD

Purpose: To study the familial occurrence of epilepsy in children with newly diagnosed multiple unprovoked seizures. Methods: Between August 1988 and September 1992, 462 children with two or more unprovoked sei zures were included in the prospective Dutch Study of Epilepsy in Chil dhood. Seizures and epilepsy syndromes of probands were classified acc ording to the International Classifications. Probands with at least 1 first-degree relative with epilepsy were selected. Seizures and syndro mes of their relatives were classified using medical files and telepho ne interviews. Results: In 42% of the probands, the epilepsy was class ified as localization-related, in 57% as generalized, and in 1% as und etermined whether focal or generalized. The 47 (10.2%) children with a t least 1 first-degree relative with epilepsy less frequently had loca lization-related epilepsy (23%) and more often had generalized epileps y (77%) as compared with the total group Of probands. Fifty-eight firs t-degree and 21 other relatives had epilepsy. Thirty-three of the 40 ( 83%) first-degree relatives with idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsy ha d the same seizure type as the proband, but detailed information about their seizures was sometimes difficult to obtain. Of the 12 first-deg ree relatives with epilepsy syndromes classifiable according to the In ternational League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 7 (58%) had the same syndro me as the proband. Conclusions: In 10% of children with newly diagnose d epilepsy, the condition is familial. Relatively more often, these ch ildren have generalized epilepsy syndromes as compared with children w ith a negative family history. Most of the relatives with idiopathic o r cryptogenic epilepsy had the same seizure type as the proband. These findings confirm the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of e pilepsy.