Demographic and Clinical Findings of Epilepsy Patients who Underwent Follow-up at the Newly Established Clinic of the Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

SummaryObjectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate demographic and clinical findings of patients who underwent follow-up at the newly established epilepsy outpatient clinic of the Muğla University Faculty of Medicine. Methods:Included were 208 patients who underwent follow-up at the clinic between March 2014 and September 2015.Results: Mean age was 29.42±15.86, with a range of 5-84 years. Eighty-three patients were men (39.9%); 125 were women (60.1%). The most common risk factors included head trauma, febrile convulsion, and family history of epilepsy. Seizures of 155 patients (75.5%) were partialonset, those of 22 (10.6%) were generalized, and those of 9 (4.3%) were unclassified. Sixty-seven patients (37.2%) had normal electroencephalogram, 96 patients (53.3%) had partial, and 10 patients (5.6%) had generalized epileptiform abnormalities. Of the 172 patients (28.5%) to whom antiepileptic drugs had been administered, 49 were resistant to medical treatment. Of the patients with modified therapy, 22 (41.5%) were seizure-free, 7 (13.2%) experienced >50% reduction in seizure frequency, and 8 experienced <50% reduction. Seizure frequency of 16 patients (30.2%) did not change. Conclusion:Regular monitoring of patients in certain centers significantly increases compliance, success of treatment, seizure-free rate, and the monitoring of side effects.Keywords: Demography; epilepsy; treatment of epilepsy. ÖzetAmaç: Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi'nde yeni kurulan Epilepsi Polikliniği'nde takip edilen hastaların demografik ve klinik bulgularının incelenmesi. Gereç ve Yöntem: Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Epilepsi Polikliniği'nde Mart 2014-Eylül 2015 tarihleri arasında izlenen 208 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi.Bulgular: Hastaların yaş ortalaması 29.42±15.86; yaş aralığı ise 5 ile 84 arasında değişmekte idi. Hastaların 83'ü erkek (%39.9); 125'i kadın (%60.1) idi. Risk faktörleri arasında en sık görülenler kafa travması, febril konvülziyon ve ailede epilepsi öyküsü idi. Yüz elli beş hastada (%74.5) parsiyel başlangıçlı, 22 hastada (%10.6) jeneralize, 9 hastada (%4.3) sınıflandırılamayan nöbet tipi mevcuttu. Altmış yedi (%37.2) hastanın elektroensefalografisi normaldi. Doksan altı hastada (%53.3) parsiyel, 10 hastada (%5.6) jeneralize epileptiform anormallik vardı. Tedavi amaç-lı ilaç kullanan 172 hastanın 49'u (%28.5) tedaviye dirençli epilepsi hastası idi. Tedavisi değiştirilen hastaların yirmi ikisinde (%41.5) nöbetsizlik elde edilirken, yedisinde (%13.2) %50'den fazla azalma, sekizinde (%15.1) %50'den az azalma izlendi. On altı hastada (%30.2) nöbet sıklığında değişiklik izlenmedi. Sonuç:Hastaların düzenli olarak belirli merkezlerde takip edilmesi hasta uyumunu, tedavi başarısını ve nöbetsizlik oranını artırması ve ilaç yan etki takibi açısından önemlidir.

Clinical and Demographic Profile of Patients with Active Epilepsy: Experience From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Turkey

“…Percentage of neonatal complications (7.5 %) took third place in our study. These results were similar with previous investigations (26)(27)(28).…”

“…In our study, the second common risk factor was history of febrile convulsions (21.4%) which is the most prevalent in studies from Sri Lanka and Iran (24,25). Additionally, two reports at tertiary clinics from Turkey revealed that febrile convulsions are the second risk factor in epileptic patients (26,27). Percentage of neonatal complications (7.5 %) took third place in our study.…”