SYMPTOMATIC LOCALIZATION-RELATED EPILEPSY AS A FUNCTION OF AGE AT ONSET

We analyzed 2,590 patients focusing on epilepsy as a function of age a t onset, with special attention to symptomatic, localization-related e pilepsy. Epilepsy with aphasic fits occurred most often in the young-a dult-onset (20 less than or equal to <40 years old) group, while histo ries of febrile convulsive status were closely related to childhood-on set (<10 years old) epilepsy, and episodes of cerebrovascular disease preceded the middle-age onset (40 years old less than or equal to) epi lepsy with significant frequency. The incidence of extratemporal epile ptiform discharge as well as generalized spike waves declined with adv ancing age. Instead, temporal epileptiform discharge tended to prevail increasingly with aging. We stressed the need to examine symptomatic localization-related epilepsy chronologically just as we examine gener alized and benign partial epilepsies. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc . All rights reserved.