Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk factors of relapse in epileptic children after the withdrawal of anticonvulsant therapy. METHODS: The data of 228 children with epilepsy, whose symptoms were controled and anticonvulsant therapy was withdrawn, was studied retrospectively. RESULTS: Fifty One of the 228 patients ( 22.4% ) had a recrudescence of seizures; of these, 47( 92.2% ) had relapse within five years of drug withdrawal. Factors associated with an increased risk of relapse were the age of onset of epilepsy, neurologic dysfunction, frequency of seizure, the duration of remission before withdrawal and the type of seizure (P< 0.05 ). There was no association between the risk factors of recrudescence and the duration of epilepsy before control, age at the discontinuation of therapy, sex and family history of epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with the risk factors should be treated and followed up longer than the others. Children who do not have the additional risk factors noted above have an excellent chance of remaining seizure free after the withdrawal of anticonvulsant drugs.
