Profile of intractable epilepsy in a tertiary referral center in upper Assam

Introduction: Epilepsy is a common and diverse disorder with many different causes.Outcomes are varied with 60—70% of newly diagnosed people rapidly entering remission after starting treatment, and 20—30% developing a drug-resistant epilepsy with consequent clinical and psychosocial distress. Methods: It is a Descriptive Cross-sectional study which was conducted in Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh from April 2014 to April 2016. A total of 42 patients of IE attending the neurology, paediatrics and medicine department were included in the study. Results: Forty-two patients (males 24, females 18) with intractable epilepsy were included for the study. Maximum patients were in between 20-40 years of age (42.9%) and their mean duration of epilepsy was13.2 ± 7.13 years. The seizure frequency varied from once every month to more than 200 per (mean 26.2 ± 24.17) month. Twenty-six patients (61.9%) had partial seizures, 8 (19.1%) patients had generalized seizures and 8(19.1%) had multiple seizure semiology. Thirty-six patients had risk factors of intractable epilepsy. Seven (16.6%) patients were having family history of epilepsy and 4(9.5%) patients had history of febrile seizures. Mesial temporal lobe sclerosis (MTLS) and birth hypoxia are the two major risk factors for intractable epilepsy. EEG was abnormal in 66.7% cases, with generalized background slowing in 19.1%, focal slowing in 14.2%, generalized epileptiform discharges in 9.5% and focal epileptiform discharges in 23.8%. CT brain was abnormal in 18(42.9%) patients. MRI brains were abnormal in 25 out-off 36 patients (69.4%). Carbamazepine was the most commonly used drug (57.1%) followed by clobazam (47.6%). Phenytoin, levetiracetum, Phenobarbitone, oxcarbazepine, zonisemide, lacosemide are the other AEDs used in combination. Conclusion: This study showed, patients with partial seizures, birth hypoxia, history of febrile seizures, family history of seizures, structural brain abnormalities and background EEG abnormalities were the most common risk factors for development of intractable epilepsy