A Clinical Study

We retrospectively studied 90 patients with postinfarction seizures to determine the clinical features (onset, number, type), prognosis, and electroencephalographic and computed tomographic findings; we included infarctions of all etiologies. Thirty-three percent of the 90 seizures appeared early (within 2 weeks after the infarction), and 90% of the 30 early seizures appeared within 24 hours after the infarction. Seventy-three percent of the 90 seizures occurred within the first year, and only 2% occurred >2 years after the infarction. Fifty-six percent of the 90 seizures were single, and status epilepticus was seen in only 8%. Early-onset seizures were more likely to be partial (57% of 30); late-onset seizures were more likely to be generalized (65% of 60). Thirty-nine percent of the 90 initial seizures recurred, and there was no significant difference in recurrence rate between earlyor late-onset initial seizures. Twenty-two percent of the 90 initial seizures became multiple recurrent seizures, and we could identify a precipitating factor in 86% of the 35 recurrent seizures. The most common electroencephalographic abnormality in the 61 patients so examined was focal slowing (61%), but recurrent seizures occurred in 100% of the four patients with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges and in 75% of the eight patients with diffuse slowing. Computed tomography in 61 patients showed that large infarctions were associated with early (p<0.021) and multiple (/><0.05) seizures. Deep infarctions on computed tomograms (cortical infarctions extending to subcortical structures) tended to cause recurrent seizures (/><0.057). Seizures in 88% of the 90 patients could be managed with monotherapy. (Stroke 1988; 19:1477-1481)