EPILEPSY IN CHILDREN: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY AT DISTRICT OF KORÇA AND DEVOLL

To analyze the relative frequencies of various epileptic seizures and to study the age at onset of different seizure types in Korça and Devoll children. This is a prospective study. Hospital outpatient based in Korça, between March 2011 to July 2013. In the study participated 76 children diagnosed as epilepsy excluding neonatal and febrile seizures. Diagnosis and classification of cases according to the International Classification of Epilepsy of the International League Against Epilepsy [ILAE] and number of patients in each category with different ages at first seizure. Generalized seizures (53%), were most frequent than partial seizures (47%). Most frequent seizure types were partial with secondary generalization seizures (22.3%), complex partial (5%), tonic (14.41%), clonic 3.94%, atonic (9.2%) and absence (3.93%). In 47% cases the first seizure occurred when aged between 2-5 years. In partial seizures the peak age at onset was observed below 10 years while primary generalized seizure was more frequently seen in age group 2-5 years. More paediatric patients with primary generalized seizures (53%) were observed than with partial seizures (47%). In this age group, the most frequent seizure type was partial with secondary generalization (22.3%) with the peak frequency of age at onset of seizures in 2-5 years.