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Patterns of Childhood Epilepsy in the Eastern Province in SaudiArabiaDr. El Sayed AIi, FRCPI, DCH, Dip Neur (Lond)Consultant Paediatric NeurologistKing Fahd Military Medical Complex (KFMMC)ObjectiveTo determine the distribution of various epilepsies and epileptic syndromes in Saudichildren treated in King Fahd Military Medical Complex in Dhahran. An epilepsyClinic was set up in 1999 for all children with a history of seizures or epilepsy, referredfrom within KFMMC hospital, Air Base Hospital in Dhahran, Naval Base Hospital inJubail and Security Forces Dispensary in Dammam.MethodData concerning 300 children aged 2 months to 14 years with epilepsy seen betweenAugust 1999 and September 2004 were analyzed using the International League againstEpilepsy (ILEA) classification. Nicolet Alliance Works 23 Channel Digital EEG machinewith Video Recording was used.ResultsA total of300 children were recruited into the study. The median age at the time of firstseizure was about 5 years. 49% were male. In this childhood - onset cohort, 46.6% ofthe syndromes were localization related. 30.3% generalized, and 23.1 % undeterminedas to whether focal or generalized. Benign Rolandic and Occipital epilepsies occurredin 12% of partial epilepsies. Myoclonic epilepsies of various types are the leadingcause of generalized epilepsy. Childhood absence epilepsy was the most commonsyndrome in primary generalized epilepsy. Infantile spasms were the commonest inthe secondary seizure group. Neuroimaging was performed in all patients with partialepilepsies and epileptic encephalopathy.The most common treatment strategy for generalized epilepsies was initial Valopratemonotherapy. In partial epilepsies, Carbamezepine was the drug of first choice. Thenew AEDs (Lamotrigine and Topiramate) were used as second therapeutic mode, eitheras monotherapy or add - on. Infantile spasm cases were treated initially withVigabatrin.ConclusionThis study presents a description of childhood and adolescent onset epilepsy as it isdiagnosed and managed in our hospital.