[Aphasia with epilepsy: a new syndrome?].

Three children are described who between 5 and 7 years of age developed behaviour disorders and comprehension deficit for acoustic language. All had associated spike-and-wave discharges in the EEG. Clinical seizures occurred after the onset of aphasia and were easily controlled by anticonvulsant treatment. The aphasia disappeared but without clear-cut correlation to the EEG or control of clinical seizures. The clinical picture resembled the "syndrome of acquired aphasia with convulsive disorder" described by Landau and Kleffner. Previous reports on aphasia in childhood show that this syndrome was already well-known then. The relationship to other acquired language disorders with psychiatric illnesses is discussed.