Background

Thereis a huge burden of epilepsy among children in India. We studied the profile of children with epilepsy presenting to a tertiary care centre in terms of clinical semiology, ILAE 2017 classfication, etiology, neuroimaging and electrophysiological findings.

Methods

A Cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among children with epilepsy aged between 1 month to 18 years over a period of 12 months presenting to a tertiary care centre in South India. We collected the clinical data by administration of a pre structured proforma. ResultsOf the 92 children included in the study there were 47 males (51.09%) and 45 females (48.91%) with mean age of 62 months.Generalized seizures was found in (66.30%),focal seizures (27%) and unknown onset (6.53%).Among generalised seizures generalised tonic clonic seizures was most common found in 28.60% and among focal seizures ,focal myoclonic seizures (8.69) was most common. Family history of epilepsy was present in 18(20.45%). EEG was abnormal in 58(63.04%). MRI /CT Brain showed abnormalities in 57.06% .Based on etiological classification we found Structural epilepsy in (35.86%), genetic(11.95%),autoimmune (3.26%),infectious (5.43%), ,metabolic(2.17%),unknown/electroclinical syndromes(29.34%).Comorbidities include developmental delay in 33.69%,cerebral palsy in 15.21%,intellectual disability in 3.26%.

Conclusion

Generalised seizures are the most common seizure semiology and most common etiology being structural and the common comorbidities being cerebral palsy and developmental delay.