pediatric neurology Absence seizure as a presenting feature of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in children

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: To measure the frequency of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in children with absence seizures.

Study design: Prospective cross- sectional study.

Place and duration of study: Department of Neurology, The Children’s hospital & Institute of Child Health, Lahore from May to November 2023.

Material and methods: 300 children presenting with absence seizures were enrolled. EEG was performed. EEG was interpreted by two different evaluators and then was correlated with clinical condition and diagnosis was established. Data was collected in proforma and analysed in SPSS version 26.0.

Results: In this study, the mean age of children was 11.45 ± 2.78 years. There were 138 (46%) males and 162 (54%) were females. The mean duration of epilepsy was 6.58 ± 4.28 months. The children who presented with absence seizures and EEG suggestive of JME were enrolled and  further assessed for presence of other seizure types and the results were 234(78%) were having GTC seizure and 255(85%) were having myoclonic seizures.  The major presenting type of seizure was GTC (60%), followed by myoclonic (30%) and absence seizure (10%).

Conclusion: Thus the frequency of JME is high in children with absence seizures. In future, we will recommend to screen children with absence seizures for JME in order to correctly and promptly diagnose JME and treat children accordingly.