[Cerebral imaging in epileptic children: study of 140 cases].

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy is a chronic disease, often with an onset during childhood and characterized by spontaneous and recurrent seizures. It concerns 0.5-1% of children under 16 years of age. Being much more sensitive than computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging is the technique of choice to identify an underlying cause. CT scan is used in emergency situations.

AIM

To describe cerebral lesions in epilepetic children and to identify predicative factors of abnormal neuroimaging.

METHODS

Authors present a retrospective descriptive study of Neuroimaging data of 140 epileptic children evaluated for a period from 2000-2007 in the paediatric departement of Sfax.

RESULTS

The mean age at onset of seizures was 3 years. The sex ratio was 1.12. Psychomotor retardation was noted in 75 patients. The seizures were generalized in 75% of case. Neurological examination was abnormal in 73 cases (52%). The main indications for conducting a brain imaging were psychomotor retardation (65 cases) and focal onset seizures (25 cases). Anoxo-ischemic lesions were the most frequent cerebral anomalies followed by brain malformations. Predictors of pathological MRI were an age at onset of seizure <3 years, psychomotor retardation and abnormal neurological examination.

CONCLUSION

The morphological imaging is recommended for recent seizures of the child with the exception of idiopathic epilepsies. MRI is the best imaging modality in exploration of epilepsy in this context.