Is the International League against Epilepsy classification of epileptic syndromes applicable to children in Estonia?

The concept of the epileptic syndrome has had a practical and research impact on the management of patients with epilepsy. The aim of the present study was to verify the applicability of the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes in children and adolescents in Estonia. A population-based study was performed between January 1995 and December 1997 in seven counties. Only cases involving children between the ages of 1 month and 19 years with at least two unprovoked seizures were included. In all, 560 children and adolescents were referred to the Children's Hospital of the University of Tartu. A syndrome diagnosis was made in 550 (98.2%) cases: (49.4%) were localization-related (6.4% idiopathic, 18.9% symptomatic, 24.1% cryptogenic). Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes was present in 33 (5.9%) and childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms in three (0.5%); 48.4% were generalized (28.8% idiopathic, 5.7% cryptogenic or symptomatic, 14% symptomatic). Childhood absence epilepsy was present in 6.4%, juvenile absence in 2.0%, juvenile myoclonic in 0.7% and epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures on awakening in 17.7%. West syndrome was diagnosed in 1.4%, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in 2.9% of the cases. In 0.4% of the cases it was undetermined whether seizures were focal or generalized. In 8.8% of the cases there were atypical features so they were classified as 'other symptomatic generalized epileptic syndromes not defined above' and 1.8% of the cases were unclassified. Specific neurological diseases were diagnosed in 5.0% of cases. Thus, the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes was very applicable to children and adolescents in Estonia.