Childhood Absence Epilepsy

Childhood absence epilepsy (also called petit mal epilepsy, pyknolepsy) accounts for 2 to 4 percent of all cases of epilepsy in children. Seizures are non-convulsive staring spells associated with a distinct 3 per second spike and wave EEG pattern. The seizures tend to occur in clusters (hence pyknolepsy -- derived from the Greek word for "cluster").

Children with this syndrome are otherwise normal; 40 percent outgrow the seizures, and as a group their I.Q. scores are 10 points above average. The syndrome is inherited (probably autosomal dominant trait with age-dependent expression).

Despite its overall benign nature, approximately half of the children with absence epilepsy can expect to have a generalized tonic clonic seizure. The risk is higher if the EEG background readings are abnormal, or if the child has neurological deficits. The risk is reduced if seizures are quickly controlled with medication.

Remission of childhood absence epilepsy is most likely when the child is young at onset, the seizures are easily controlled with medication and there are no other neurological problems.