Predictors and course of medically intractable epilepsy in young children presenting before 36 months of age: a retrospective, population-based study

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and identify predictors of medical intractability in children presenting with epilepsy before 36 months of age, and to assess the effect of medical intractability on long-term mortality and intellectual function. METHODS: Children with newly diagnosed epilepsy before 36 months between 1980 and 2009 while resident in Olmsted County, MN, were identified. Medical records were reviewed to collect epilepsy-specific variables and long-term outcome data. Medically intractable epilepsy was defined as either (1) seizure frequency greater than every 6 months at final follow-up and failure of two or more antiepileptic drugs for lack of efficacy, or (2) having undergone epilepsy surgery after failure to respond to two or more antiepileptic drugs. KEY FINDINGS: One hundred twenty-seven children with new-onset epilepsy were identified and followed for a median of 78 months. Medically intractable seizures occurred in 35%, and significant predictors on multivariate analysis were age ≤12 months at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 6.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.00, 22.84, p = 0.002), developmental delay at initial diagnosis of epilepsy (OR 20.03, 95% CI 3.49, 114.83, p = 0.0008), neuroimaging abnormality (OR 6.48, 95% CI 1.96, 21.40, p = 0.002), and focal slowing on initial EEG (OR 5.33, 95% CI 1.14, 24.88, p = 0.03). Medical intractability occurred early in the course in most children, being seen in 61% by 1 year, and 93% by 5 years after initial diagnosis. Mortality was higher (20% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) and intellectual outcome poorer (p