Original articleMyoclonic epilepsy in infancy with preceding or concurrent afebrile generalized tonic-clonic seizures in Chinese children

ObjectiveTo investigate the general characteristics and the category of myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (MEI) with or without afebrile generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS).MethodsThirty-three children were retrospectively recruited from approximately 42,814 video-electroencephalogram (VEEG) recordings monitored in our department over last nearly 10 years. Myoclonic seizures (MS) must be identified by VEEG in all patients. The clinical, EEG features and outcome were analyzed among these patients.ResultsThe 33 patients (25 boys and 8 girls) were divided into three groups: 11 patients with typical MEI; 16 patients with MEI experienced afebrile GTCS before MS onset; and 6 patients with MEI presented afebrile GTCS occurring concurrently with MS. No significant differences were found among the three groups, including gender distribution, family history, personal history of febrile seizures, the age at seizure onset and control, the duration of MS, the interval between age at onset and seizure control, the age at EEG normalization, the interval between seizure onset age and EEG normalization age and normal psychomotor development at the end of follow-up. More patients in group two and group three were controlled by two or three kinds of antiepileptic drugs compared with those in group one.ConclusionsIn this study, three groups of patients had similar clinical, EEG features and outcome. Afebrile GTCS was associated with a stronger cortical hyperexcitability. It was worth considering whether MEI with preceding or concurrent afebrile GTCS should be recognized as subgroups or different epileptic syndromes independent of MEI.