J Korean Neurol Assoc.  2000 Jul;18(4):409-413.

The Relationship between Febrile Convulsion and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Is Febrile Convulsion a Preferential Association with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?

• Jung JW
• Kim SE
• Lee TY
• Heo K

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although a history of febrile convulsion (FC) is common in epilepsy patients, the preferential associa-tion of febrile convulsion with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is not clear.
METHODS
We obtained the FC data from "Paik and Bongsang hospital" epilepsy clinic. We classified epilepsy syndromes into generalized epilepsy (GE), temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), extratemporal epilepsy (ETLE), unclassified partial and undetermined epilepsy by standardized criteria. The incidence of antecedent FC was evaluated in relation to the epilepsy classifications. We calculated kappa values for inter and intra observer reliability for the classifications of epilepsy syndromes.
RESULTS
The agreement of epilepsy classifications were reliable (intra-observer kappa value=0.78, inter-observer kappa value=0.77). Thirteen percent of the studied patients (72/537) had a history of FC and 38% of FC (27/72) were complex types of FC. TLE was more likely to be preceded by FC 25% (42/166) than ETLE 6% (12/189), p<0.05 or GE 13% (12/93), p<0.05 and 85% of complex FC (23/27) preceded TLE. GE however, was more likely to have non-complex FC 100% (12/12) than partial epilepsy 55% (32/58), p<0.05.
CONCLUSIONS
We therefore conclude and agree that FC should be preferentially associated with TLE.

Keyword

Febrile convulsion; Temporal lobe epilepsy; Complex febrile convulsion

MeSH Terms

Classification
Epilepsies, Partial
Epilepsy
Epilepsy, Generalized
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe*
Humans
Incidence
Seizures, Febrile*
Temporal Lobe*