CHILDHOOD ABSENCE EPILEPSY: SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE DISEASE COURSE AND OUTCOMES

Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is an idiopathic generalized epilepsy, which could be attributed to genetic forms according to the latest proposals of the Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy (2016). CAE has specific clinical and encephalographic characteristics. Data regarding cognitive impairment in children with CAE is still controversial. There are some attempts to introduce more strict diagnostic criteria to be able to define the disease course and prognosis of this form of epilepsy. These are the criteria proposed by Panayiotopoulos C. P. in 2005. Objective. To asses specific features of CAE taking into account the criteria of Panayiotopoulos C. P. (2005). Materials and methods. We have retrospectively analyzed 186 cases of CAE in children; study participants were divided into groups according to Panayiotopoulos’s criteria (2005). Results. Children from the group allocated in accordance with Panayiotopoulos’s criteria had neither generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) nor myoclonic seizures; control of absence seizures was achieved in 94.3% of the cases; almost 90% of children in this group received monotherapy with mean treatment duration of 2.8 years. Conclusions. The use of more precise diagnostic criteria for CAE will help to predict clinical course of this form of epilepsy and its outcome.