[Benign focal epilepsy of childhood (BFEC)]

Abstract

Thirty cases of benign focal epilepsy of childhood were reported. The seizures were partial or generalized motor ones in all cases. One patient had episodes of visual hallucination with motor seizures. No objective examination has demonstrated cerebral lesions in all cases. The most characteristic in the present study was that the attacks were in relation to the sleep in 90% of cases, 56.7% of all patients had nocturnal seizure only. The characteristic EEG patterns were the spike or sharp discharges in Rolandic area in 29 cases, and occipital sharps or sharp wave complexes in one patient on normal background activities. The discharge rate of Rolandic spikes or sharps were significantly higher during sleep than during the awake stage, and 12 cases had Rolandic discharges only during sleep. Sleep EEG recordings is suggested when children were suspected of having such kind of seizure type but having a normal EEG pattern when awake. Brief induced sleep is usually adequate.