VALUE OF INT ER-ICTAL SURFACE EEG IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF SEIZURE DISORDERS IN CHILDREN: A LOCAL ST UDY

We wished to assess the frequency of EEG positivity with our available EEG technology to compare with those elsewhere. Between April 1996 to February 1997, of patients referred to the Pediatric Neurology Out-patient Clinic for assessment of seizure disorders, 202 randomly selected patients aged 16 months to 17 years (mean 8.96 years) underwent a 10-minute inter-ictal EEG recording using a standard lO-channel paper EEG, with various activation techniques performed. Of these, 142 (70.3%) were clinically diagnosed as having some type of seizure disorder, while the rest (60, 29.7%) had EEG performed for other reasons. Of 142 cases with seizure disorder, 65 (45.8%) had definitely abnormal, 15 (10.5%) suspicious, and 62 (43.7%) had normal EEG's. In the 60 "other" patients, 22 (36.7%) had abnormal, 2 (3.3%) suspicious, and 36 (60%) normaI EEG's. In 202 patients as a whole, 87 EEG's (43.06%) were abnormal, 17 (8.41 %) suspicious, and 98 (48.51 %) normal. In conclusion, although of lower than standard technology compared to those taken in developed countries, EEG's taken in our laboratory could help us substantiate our clinical impression of seizure disorders in children. The result could be further improved by more appropriate selection of cases and further refining the procedure, using the same instrument.