Etiology of the epileptic seizures in Recife City, Brazil: study of 249 patients

Estudamos as causas etiológicas das crises epilépticas apresentadas por 249 pacientes, que procuraram um serviço de neurologia na Cidade do Recife, Brasil. A causa da crise não foi identificada em 43,0% dos pacientes. Como fatores de risco determinantes das crises encontramos: acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico (AVCI ; 17,3%), cisticercose (8,8%), trauma crânio-encefálico (TCE; 6,8%), neoplasias intracranianas (6,8%), AVC hemorrágico (AVCH; 4,8%), malformação vascular cerebral (3,6%) e outras causas (8,4%). Nos pacientes com menos de 15 anos, a causa mais frequente foi cisticercose (10,3%), seguida por malformação vascular (5,1%) e AVCI (5,1%). No grupo com idade entre 15 e 45 anos o fator determinante mais frequente foi cisticercose (11,6%), seguido por TCE (10,7%), AVCI (4,5%) e neoplasia (3,6%). Porém, nos pacientes com mais de 45 anos a principal causa foi AVCI (36,7%), seguido por neoplasia (12,3%), AVCH (11,2%) e cisticercose (5,1%). Concluindo, a doença cerebrovascular foi a causa mais prevalente de crise epiléptica, quando consideramos todas as idades. No entanto, a cisticercose cerebral foi a principal causa encontrada em pacientes com menos de 45 anos.The etiological causes of the epileptic seizures presenting by 249 patients were studied, in a neurological clinic in Recife City, Brazil. The cause of the seizure was not identified in 43.0% of the patients. As suspected causal factors we found: ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD, 17.3%), cysticercosis (8.8%), head trauma (HT, 6.8%), brain tumors (6.8%), hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease (HCVD, 4.8%), vascular malformation (3.6%), other causes (8.4%). In the patients with age less than 15-year-old, the most frequent cause was cysticercosis (10.3%), following vascular malformation (5.1%), and ICVD (5.1%). In the group between 15 and 45 years of age the major cause of seizure was cysticercosis (11.6%), following HT (10.7%), ICVD (4.5%), and brain tumors (3.6%). On the other hand, in the patients with more than 45-year-old the main cause was ICVD (36.7%), following brain tumors (12.3%), HCVD (11.2%), and cysticercosis (5.1%). Im conclusion, cerebrovascular disease was the most prevalent cause of epileptic seizures, considering all groups of patients. Although, cysticercosis was main cause found in the patients with less than 45 years of age