الفهرس 
Title : characterization of electroencephalographic features in idiopathic epilepsy, febrile convulsions and breath holding spells
ContentsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Background: A normal interictal EEG alone cannot be used to exclude the possibility of the episodes being epileptic seizures. Ruling out seizures requires experience in recognizing seizure semiology of various focal and generalized epilepsy syndromes and it is this experience combined with EEG that allows differentiation of epileptic and non epileptic episodes. Aim: to describe the clinical characteristic features and the electroencephalographic (EEG) findings of patients with breath holding spells, febrile convulsions and idiopathic epilepsy. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out on 150 patients with breath holding spells (BHS) or febrile convulsions or idiopathic epilepsy. All patients were attending the EEG units at Cairo University Children Hospital within the study period. None of the studied patients had structural central nervous system (CNS) disorders or metabolic/toxic CNS disorders. Interictal EEG was done to all the patients. Results: There is no significant difference between normal and abnormal EEG in patients with BHS regarding the age, the age of onset, the frequency of attacks, the gender, the duration, the presence of similar attacks in the family and the type of spells; (p>{u200A}0.05). In Febrile convulsions; It was highly significant that 83.3% of patients with more than one attack of seizures per febrile illness (complex febrile convulsions) had abnormal EEG (p value is 0.00002) and it was significant that all patients with focal with secondary generalization seizures had abnormal EEG (complex febrile convulsions)(p value is 0.012).EEG was normal in most patients with idiopathic epilepsy with good response to antiepileptic drugs(AEDS), while EEG was abnormal in most patients with idiopathic epilepsy with poor response to AEDS (p =0.051). Conclusion: EEG is not typically part of the workup for breath-holding spells. In patients with simple febrile seizures, an interictal EEG is not helpful and is not recommended