What Are the Risk Factors for Epilepsy Among Patients With Craniosynostosis?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for epilepsy among patients with craniosynostosis.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study that was completed with the Kids' Inpatient Database. All patients diagnosed with craniosynostosis between the years 2000 and 2012 were included. The primary predictor variables were obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hydrocephalus, brain compression (BC), cerebral edema, papilledema, dolichocephaly, and plagiocephaly. The outcome variable was epilepsy. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine odds ratios (ORs) for the outcome (epilepsy).

RESULTS

Our final sample had 4,709 patients with craniosynostosis, of whom 244 patients exhibited epilepsy (5.2%). The mean age of the patients was 1.43 years (range: 0-20). Relative to Asian patients, Black patients were 4 times more likely to have epilepsy (P < .05). Relative to patients in fringe counties of metro areas with a population of at least 1 million, patients in metro areas of 50,000 to 249,999 population were almost 2 times more likely to have epilepsy (P < .01). Hydrocephalus (OR, 6.6; P < .001), BC (OR, 2.4; P < .01), and OSA (OR, 3.0; P < .001) were independent risk factors for epilepsy among our sample of patients with craniosynostosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Hydrocephalus, OSA, and BC increase the risk of epilepsy in patients with craniosynostosis. Black patients with craniosynostosis are also at increased risk for epilepsy. With regard to location, patients in areas with a population of 50,000 to 250,000 were at increased risk for epilepsy.