A community based epidemiological study of epilepsy in Assiut Governorate/Egypt

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• 作者：Eman M. Khedr^a ; ^{emankhedr99@yahoo.com} ; Ola A. Shawky^a ; Mohamed A. Ahmed^a ; Noha Abo Elfetoh^a ; Ghada Al Attar^b ; Anwar M. Ali^a ; Mahmoud R. Kandil^a ; Hassan Farweez^a
• 关键词：Epilepsy ; Epidemiology ; Arabic countries ; European countries ; Asia
• 刊名：Epilepsy Research
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：February, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：103
• 期：2-3
• 页码：294-302
• 全文大小：301 K

文摘

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Summary

Background

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of different types of epilepsy and their possible risk factors in the region of the Assiut Governorate/Egypt.

Material and methods

A community based study with random sampling of 7 districts, involving 6498 inhabitants. Out of this sample, 578 dropped out leaving 3066 males (51.8 % ) and 2854 females (48.2 % ). There were 3660 (61.8 % ) urban residents and 2260 (38.2 % ) from the rural community. Patients were evaluated using a screening questionnaire for epilepsy, and then referred to the hospital to be re-evaluated by a qualified neurologist and with electroencephalography (EEG) and computed tomography of the brain (CT).

Results

Seventy-five cases were diagnosed with epilepsy giving an overall the crude lifetime prevalence rate (CPR) for epilepsy of 12.67/1000 (95 % CI: 9.8-15.54). The active prevalence rate was 9.3/1000 and the incidence rate was 1.5/1000 (95 % confidence interval: 0.53-2.51). Fifty-six cases (75 % ) had idiopathic epilepsy (CPR 9.5/1000). Symptomatic epilepsy was recorded in 19 (25 % ) cases (CPR 3.2/1000). Generalized seizures were more common (CPR 6.75/1000) than partial seizures (CPR 2.5/1000). The prevalence rate of partial seizures evolving to secondary generalization was 0.84/1000 while simple partial and complex partial seizures had CPR 1.4/1000 and 0.34/1000, respectively. The CPR of mixed seizures was 0.17/1000.

Epilepsy was slightly but not significantly more common among males than females (CPR of 14.4 and 10.9 per 1000 population, respectively). The CPR was higher in rural than urban populations (17.7/1000, with 95 % CI 12.2-23.18 and 9.56/1000, with 95 % CI: 6.39-12.7, respectively) and in the illiterate group than the literate population (12.02/1000 and 9.94/1000, respectively). The highest prevalence rate was recorded in the early and late childhood period (69.78/100,000 and 43.78/100,000, respectively). Prenatal insults and infection represented major causes of symptomatic epilepsy.

Conclusions

We found a high prevalence rate of epilepsy (comparable with that in other Arabic and European countries) in our community particularly among children and teenagers. Overall the prevalence was higher in the rural than in the urban population. A family history of epilepsy, prenatal insults, and infection represented major risk factors of symptomatic epilepsy.