[Petit mal in children].

Thirty-two cases of children with petit mal were reviewed, finding that it is an entity of low frequency among the group of epileptic disorders; also there is no differences between sexes. The prognosis has become worsening by the presence of other types of crises, abnormal neurological examination, subnormal intelligence, behavior disorders and an "atypica", EEG. It is also influenced by the beginning of therapy at the pubertal development time. Ethosuximide seems to be the drug of choice in the "uncomplicated" cases.