Incidence of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes in children and adolescents: A population-based prospective study in Germany

Purpose: To estimate the incidence rate of epilepsies and epileptic syndrom es in German children and adolescents aged 1 month to < 15 years, and to pr ovide data on their classification. Methods: A population-based prospective study was performed between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000. All children aged 1 month to < 15 years with a ne wly diagnosed epilepsy or epileptic syndrome were recorded by private pedia tricians, EEG laboratories, and the two University Children's Hospitals in the neighboring cities of Heidelberg and Mannheim. The diagnoses were class ified according to the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epile ptic Syndromes of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). Results: The total age-adjusted annual incidence rate was 60/100,000 (95% c onfidence interval, 42-84), with the highest incidence in the first year of life (146/100,000). Focal epilepsies or epileptic syndromes (58%; incidenc e rate, 35/100,000) were more common than were generalized ones (39%, incid ence rate, 24/100,000), and 3% (incidence rate, 2/100,000) of the epilepsie s or epileptic syndromes were undetermined. The rate of idiopathic (47% inc idence rate, 29/100,000) and symptomatic or cryptogenic epilepsies (50%; in cidence rate, 30/100,000) was equal. No significant difference in incidence between boys and girls was found. Conclusions: Incidence rates for epilepsy in German children aged I month t o < 15 years are about equal to those of other countries in Europe and Nort h America, In accordance with studies from the United States and from many European countries, incidence was highest in the first year of life, and no difference in the incidence between girls and boys was found. In Germany a s throughout Europe, idiopathic generalized epileptic syndromes are more of ten diagnosed than in the United States.