Early prediction of seizure remission in children with occipital lobe epilepsy.

The purpose of this study was to identify early predictors of seizure remission in occipital lobe epilepsy irrespective of syndrome classification i.e. idiopathic or symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy. Forty-three children with occipital lobe epilepsy had taken part in an earlier study of seizure semiology, neurological deficits, psychomotor/cognitive status, electroencephalography (EEG) and neuroimaging. On the basis of the results of a questionnaire on the state of their epilepsy in 2000, two groups were composed. One group (n=17) consisted of the children with a complete seizure remission of 5 years or more, and the other (n=26) comprised children whose last seizure occurred less than 5 years ago. Our findings indicate that neurological deficit and EEG characteristics can predict 5 year outcome of occipital lobe epilepsy. Neuroradiological abnormality, psychomotor/cognitive status and seizure semiology appear to be of more limited value.