Senanayake N, Román G C
Neuroepidemiology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
Bull World Health Organ. 1993;71(2):247-58.
Epilepsy is an important health problem in developing countries, where its prevalence can be up to 57 per 1000 population. This article reviews the epidemiology of epilepsy in developing countries in terms of its incidence, prevalence, seizure type, mortality data, and etiological factors. The prevalence of epilepsy is particularly high in Latin America and in several African countries, notably Liberia, Nigeria, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Parasitic infections, particularly neurocysticercosis, are important etiological factors for epilepsy in many of these countries. Other reasons for the high prevalence include intracranial infections of bacterial or viral origin, perinatal brain damage, head injuries, toxic agents, and hereditary factors. Many of these factors are, however, preventable or modifiable, and the introduction of appropriate measures to achieve this could lead to a substantial decrease in the incidence of epilepsy in developing countries.
癫痫在发展中国家是一个重要的健康问题，其患病率可达每1000人中有57人患病。本文从癫痫的发病率、患病率、发作类型、死亡率数据和病因等方面综述了发展中国家癫痫的流行病学情况。癫痫在拉丁美洲和几个非洲国家的患病率尤其高，特别是利比里亚、尼日利亚和坦桑尼亚联合共和国。在许多这些国家，寄生虫感染，尤其是神经囊尾蚴病，是癫痫的重要病因。患病率高的其他原因包括细菌或病毒引起的颅内感染、围产期脑损伤、头部受伤、有毒物质和遗传因素。然而，这些因素中的许多是可以预防或改变的，采取适当措施来实现这一点可能会导致发展中国家癫痫发病率大幅下降。
