Abstract

Incidence and Characteristics of Headaches in a Retrospective Cohort of Taiwanese Children with Focal Epilepsy

Author(s): Inn-Chi Lee, Yung-Jung Chen

Abstract

Objective: To study the incidences and characteristics of headaches in children with focal epilepsies.

Methods: We enrolled 476 of 865 patients with childhood epilepsy: 178 with frontal lobe epilepsies (FLEs), 194 with temporal lobe epilepsies (TLEs), 35 with parietal lobe epilepsies (PLEs), and 69 with occipital lobe epilepsies (OLEs). The characteristics of migraines in these different focal epileptic syndromes were analyzed.

Results: Six patients with FLE (3.4%), 13 with TLE (6.7%), 13 with PLE (37%), and 14 with OLE (20%) presented with migraines. The incidences of migraine were significantly higher in the OLE and PLE groups than in the FLE and TLE groups (p<.001; odds ratio = 6.51). In children with migraines and PLE or OLE, and with a probable or definite lesional etiology were significantly associated with more-frequent seizures and more antiepilectic drugs (both p<.05) than were those without migraines.

Conclusions: The incidence of migraine was significantly higher in children with PLE and OLE than in those with FLE and TLE. Children with migraines and PLE or OLE, and with a probable or definite lesional etiology were significantly associated with more-frequent seizures and more antiepilectic drugs.