Spina bifida occulta in epilepsy syndromes.

We studied radiographs of the lumbar vertebral column and sacral region for 182 patients with epilepsy for the presence of spina bifida occulta. Spina bifida occulta was twice as common in patients with idiopathic epilepsy as in patients with symptomatic epilepsy and twice as common in patients with idiopathic epilepsy as in the general population. We discuss the relationship between spina bifida occulta and idiopathic epilepsy.