Clinical and Radiological Evaluation of New - Onset Epiletic Seizures in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is one of the most familiar neurological disorders which can cause bodily injury and death from inadequately treated or untreated cases. The imaging and EEG of new onset seizures is done with different indications, to identify an acute illness as the underline course for the seizure and possible neurological deficit. To this purpose we have evaluated new onset seizures in adult patients in correlation with their clinical profile, Electroencephalography (EEG) and Computerized tomography (CT) imaging of brain. METHODS: This cross sectional study was studied in 100 adult patients, presenting with seizures attending the Emergency department, General Medicine and Neurology wards and OPD of Tertiary care teaching hospital during the period of March 2006 to March 2008. All the patients were examined clinically and subjected to CT imaging of brain and EEG. Other necessary blood investigations were also done. Correlation between various seizures and CT scan brain and EEG were studied. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: 63% of patients were in the age group of 20-39 years, 63% were males and 37% were females. 65% presented with GTCS, 35% with partial seizures. CT scan was found abnormal in 49.2% patients in GTCS, 71.4% in partial seizures. EEG showed abnormal pattern in 39% patients. 40% of the patients with partial seizures had epileptic form discharges. 33% patients had focal lesions on CT brain with normal EEG. CONCLUSION: Generalized Tonic clonic seizures were the commonest type of seizures was present, seen mostly in male patients. CT scan brain was abnormal in 57% of the patients. Neurocysticercosis and calcified granuloma were the commonest causes for seizures up to 3 rd decade of life. Majority of the patients with focal lesions on CT scan brain had epileptic form discharges on EEG which indicate a strong correlation of EEG with CT findings. Initiating the treatment with antiepileptic drugs was left the sole discretion of the treating physician for a case of new onset seizures.