Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND :
Adult onset epilepsy (AOE) is considered the epilepsy that start after the age of 18 years. It is a common disorder, and it’s etiology is variable from one place to another.
OBJECTIVE :
to study the etiologies, diagnosis and treatment of AOE in one governorate of Iraq and to compare it’s different clinical and paraclinical abnormalities in different age groups.
PATIENTS & METHODS:
106 patients with AOE were enrolled in this prospective study, and included all patients who developed seizure after the age 18. The study was done in a heavy neurological clinic in north of Babylon governorate, Iraq, for 3 years from Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2010.
RESULTS:
A total of 102 patients met the criteria. Brain tumors were found in 24 (23.5%). No cause could be found in 25 (24.5%) of cases. Generalized tonic clonic seizure was registered in 47 patients (46%). EEG was positive in (57.3%) of cases and the MRI was conclusive in 63.7% of them.
CONCLUSION:
Brain tumors, CVD, post traumatic and inflammatory disease are the four major causes of AOE in Iraq. The most common type of seizure among different groups of etiologies of AOE is focal epilepsy.