Matuja W B
East Afr Med J. 1989 May;66(5):343-8.
The study deals with 428 patients with epilepsy who were referred to the neurology clinic, Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam; and analysed for aetiological factors. Of these, 146(34%) had identifiable causes which were acquired in 95%. Sixty seven (46%) of patients with identifiable causative factors were children below the age of fifteen and 35(24%) adults were above the age of thirty. The cause of epilepsy in 71% of children was childhood febrile convulsions and CNS infections while in 74% adults, it was due to head injury, tumours and vascular disease. Twice as many patients with partial epilepsy had identifiable aetiological factors than those with generalised epilepsy. Childhood febrile convulsion was commonly associated with partial epilepsy with complex symptoms while birth injury and CNS infections were associated with generalised epilepsy. Vascular causes and tumours were associated with partial epilepsy. The significance of identifiable aetiological factors and their association to various types of epilepsy is discussed. This study is a preliminary report of a major study which commenced in January, 1983 dealing with classification, clinical presentation, social factors and management of epileptic patients referred to this Clinic.
该研究涉及428例转诊至达累斯萨拉姆穆希姆比利医疗中心神经科诊所的癫痫患者，并对其病因进行了分析。其中，146例（34%）有可识别的病因，95%的病因是后天获得性的。67例（46%）有可识别病因的患者为15岁以下儿童，35例（24%）成年患者年龄在30岁以上。71%的儿童癫痫病因是儿童热性惊厥和中枢神经系统感染，而74%的成年患者病因是头部损伤、肿瘤和血管疾病。部分性癫痫患者有可识别病因的人数是全身性癫痫患者的两倍。儿童热性惊厥通常与伴有复杂症状的部分性癫痫相关，而出生损伤和中枢神经系统感染与全身性癫痫相关。血管性病因和肿瘤与部分性癫痫相关。文中讨论了可识别病因的意义及其与各种类型癫痫的关联。本研究是一项于1983年1月开始的大型研究的初步报告，该研究涉及转诊至本诊所的癫痫患者的分类、临床表现、社会因素及治疗。
