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Childhood absence epilepsy , is one of the most frequent pediatric epilepsy syndromes. CAE is an idiopathic generalized epilepsy that occurs in otherwise normal children. The only seizure type at the time of diagnosis is the typical absence seizure. CAE is a well-known pediatric epilepsy syndrome affecting 10–17% of all children with epilepsy. It was previously known as pyknolepsy. The word pyknolepsy originates from the Greek piknoz , which means recurrent or grouped. The usual age of onset of CAE is between 4 and 10 years, with peak between 5 and 7 years.
The typical absence seizure has a sudden onset of altered awareness and ends also abruptly. Electroencephalogram demonstrate characteristic "typical 3Hz spike-wave" generalized rhythmic discharges that begin and end abruptly. Prognosis is generally good with fair rates of response to treatment and with most patients growing out of their absencese. However, learning difficulties and seizure occurrence rates remain higher than the general population even after several years. When typical absence seizures start the age of 8- 9 years old when the absence seizures are infrequent or when the absence seizures are observed in a patient that had experienced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, a diagnosis of juvenile absence epilepsy should be considered.