Pmc. Callenbach et al., FAMILIAL OCCURRENCE OF EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN WITH NEWLY-DIAGNOSED MULTIPLE SEIZURES - DUTCH STUDY OF EPILEPSY IN CHILDHOOD, Epilepsia, 39(3), 1998, pp. 331-336
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.