Clinical Studies of Children Manifesting Electroencephalographic Paroxysmal Activities in the Frontal Area

Lee, Chang Woo; Coe, Chang Jun

Abstract

PURPOSE: Seizures arising from the frontal area are the second most common type of partial seizure disorder. As many of them showes various clinical manifestations, they are often misdiagnosed in children. This studies was performed to correlate clinical characteristics of children with electroencephalographic abnormal findings in the frontal area.
METHODS
The clinical manifestations were analysed in 81 children with seizures showing interictal paroxysmal activities on scalp electroencephalography at frontal lobe area. This clinical manifestation involves type of seizure, frequency and duration of seizure, mental retardation, speech and motor development as well as medication.
RESULTS
The abnormal electrical activities of frontal lobe were classified to spike or sharp waves in 56 cases, spike and waves in 16 cases, slow waves in 9 cases. 34 children had generalized tonic clonic seizures, 19 had partial seizure disorders, 8 had absence seizures, and 6 had atonic seizures, 12 had generalized tonic seizures, 2 had myoclonic seizures. Accompanying developmental disorders were mental retardation in 20 cases, speech delay in 27 cases, motor delay in 11 cases. Polytherapy is more common in children with specific etiology and absence seizure.
CONCLUSION
Epileptic children with frontal paroxysmal activities in their EEG clinically manifestes partial and generalized seizure, and speech delay is the most frequent in developmental delay. Patents with frontal lobe epilepsy manifest various unpredictable clinical features.