Eigty-eight children with epilepsy who were seizure-free for at least 2 years were enrolled and all children were proposed to stop antiepileptic drug treatment and were followed. Patients with recurrent seizure after drug withdrawal evaluated as a relapse group and seizure free patients evaluted as a remission group. Patients were followed for 2 years after AED withdrawal. Factors that may cause relapse were analyzed.

RESULTS

The study group consisted of 57% of patients with relapse, 43% patients with remission. Relapse is more common in patients with neurological deficits, symptomatic etiology of epilepsy, treatment period is less than two years, drug tapering rate is less than 3 months, electroencephalogram findings is abnormal before remission, receiving politherapy.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

Keywords:

Epilepsy, recurrence, withdrawal