CHILDREN WITH FAMILIAL CRYPTOGENIC EPILEPSY HAVE A FAVORABLE SEIZURE PROGNOSIS

We examined the prognosis for children with epilepsy not conforming to a genetic syndrome, who also had close relatives with epilepsy. Proba nds, with no identified cause for epilepsy except a first-degree relat ive with epilepsy, were identified from a population-based cohort of 5 04 children in Nova Scotia, with onset of seizures between 1977 and 19 85. The primary outcome measure was seizure remission after an average of 15 years follow-up for probands (n = 27) and 26 years for their af fected relatives (n. = 32). Of probands, 92% were seizure free for 3 o r more years at the end of follow-up, compared with 76% of relatives. When seizures began before age 12 gears, 96% of probands and 94% of af fected relatives were seizure free at the end of follow-up. There was little concordance for the details of the clinical course between prob ands and affected family members. This high level of remission was con siderably better than for similar patients from the original Nova Scot ian cohort (P < .02). We conclude that children with epilepsy not conf orming to a well-defined genetic syndrome, but with an affected first- degree relative, have a remarkably good prognosis.