Clinical Investigation of Childhood Epilepsy

소아간질의 임상적 관찰

Childhood epilepsy which has high prevalence rate and inception rate is one of the commonest problem encountered in pediatrician. In contrast with epilepsy of adult, in childhood epilepsy, more variable and varying manifestations are found because the factors of age, growth and development exert their influences in the manifestations and the courses of childhood epilepsy. Moreover epileptic children have associated problems such as physical and mental handicaps, psychologicaldisorders and learning disability. For these reasons pediatrician who deals with epileptic children experiences difficulties in making diagnosis and managing them. In order to improve understanding and management of childhood epilepsy, authors reviewed 103 cases of epileptic patients seen at pediatric department of Yeungnam University Hospital retrospectively. The patients were classified according to the type of epileptic seizure. Suspected causes of epilepsy, associated conditions of epileptic patients, age incidence and the findings of brain CT were reviewed. Large numbers of epileptic patients (61.2%) developed their first seizures under the age of 5. The most frequent type of epileptic seizure was generalized ionic-clonic, tonic, clonic seizure (49.5%), followed by simple partial seizure with secondary generalization (17.5%), simple partial seizure (7.8%), a typical absence (5.8%) and unclassified seizure (5.8%). In 83.5% of patients, we could not find specific cause of it, but in 16.5% of cases, history of neonatal hypoxia (4.9%), meningitis (3.9%), prematurity (1.9%), small for gestational age (1.0%), CO poisoning (1.0%), encephalopathy (1.0%), DPT vaccination (1.0%), cerebrovascular accident (1.0%) and neonatal jaundice (1.0%) were found, 30 cases of patients had associated diseases such as mental retardation, hyperactivity, delayed motor milestones or their combinations. The major abnormal findings of brain CT performed in 42 cases were cortical atrophy, cerebral infarction, hydrocephalus and brain swelling. This review stressed better designed classification of epilepsy is needed and with promotion of medical care, prevention of epilepsy is possible in some cases. Also it is stressed that childhood epilepsy requires multidisplinary therapy and brain CT is helpful in the evaluation of epilepsy with limitation in therapeutic aspects.

저자들은 1983년 5월부터 1985년 11월까지 만 30개월간 본원 소아과를 통해 진료받은 100명의 소아간질환아를 대상으로 관찰한 결과 다음과 같은 성적을 얻었다. 1. 남녀별 발생빈도는 1.2:1로 남아에서 약간 많았다. 2. 경련발생 연령은 6개월 미만이 13예(12.6%), 6개월~3세군이 34예(33.0%), 3~5세군이 16예(15.5%), 5~10세군이 24예(23.3%), 10~15세군이 16예 (15.5%)였다. 3. 간질경련 양상은 generalized tonic-clonic, tonic, clonic seizure가 49.5%, 간대성 근경련이 5.8%, 비전형 소발작이 5.8%, 이완성발작이 1%였고, simple P.S.가 7.8%, complex P.S.가 3.9%, simple P.S. $\overline{c}$ 2nd G.이 17.5%, complex P.S. $\overline{c}$ 2nd G.이 2.9%, 미분류가 5.8%였다. 4. 간질의 원인으로 추정이 가능했던 경우가 17예(16.5%)였는데 주산기 저산소증(4.9%), 뇌막염(3.9%), 미숙아분만(1.9%) 등이 많은 원인이었다. 5. 간질과 동반된 질환은 30예(29%)에서 보였는데 지능장애, 과다행동증, 운동발달지연, 뇌성마비 등이 많았다. 6. 42예에서 행한 뇌 전산화단층촬영에서 14예의 이상소견을 보였는데 뇌 위축이 6예, 뇌경색이 3예, 수두증 및 뇌부종소견이 각각 2 예씩 나타났다.