[The importance of postnatal risk factors in localized epilepsies].

INTRODUCTION

The risk factors for epilepsy are not sufficiently well known.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the postnatal risk factors for epilepsy related to localization.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We studied 100 patients with localized epilepsy who were over 14 years old, randomly selected and consulted us between January 1996 and July 1997. Data was obtained using the specific protocol of an epileptology program. All patients had electroencephalograms and skull tomography.

RESULTS

The average age was 29 years. There were more males than females (57 males) and simple partial crises with secondary generalization were the commonest (49 patients). Head injury was the main risk factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Postnatal risk factors which could have been avoided, such as head injury and neurocysticercosis made up the main group of patients with factors identified. Alterations on skull tomography were associated with statistically significant postnatal risk factors.