Epilepsy

Essentials of diagnosis
+ recurrent seizures
+ characteristic electroencephalographic changes accompany seizures
+ mental status abnormalities or focal neurologic symptoms may persist for hours postictally.
Etiology
1. Congenital abnormalities
2. Metabolic disorders
3. Trauma
4. Tumor and other space-occupying lesions
5. Vascular disease
6. Degenerative disorders
7. Infectious disease
Treatment
-partial and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures : carbamazepine 600-1200mg, phenytoin 200-400mg, valproic acid 1500-2000mg. Newer antiepileptic: gabapentin 900-1800mg, lamotrigine 100-500mg.
-absence/petit mal: ethosuximide 100-1500mg, clonazepam 0,04-0,2mg/kg, valproic acid.
- myoclonic seizures: valproic acid, clonazepam