Clinical profile and course of epileptic seizures in children living with epilepsy admitted to the Neuropsychopathology Center in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Context and objective. Epilepsy is one of the neurological diseases mainly affecting children. This study aimed to describe clinical profile and course of epileptic seizures in children followed for epilepsy. Methods. This was a retrospective, descriptive series of epileptic patients aged ≤ 15 years old attending the Neuropediatrics Unit of the Neuropsychopathology Center (CNPP), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Parameters of interest encompassed sociodemographic, clinical and evolutionary data. Results. One hundred eighteen children's files (boys, 59.3%, mean age 8.2 ± 4.1 years) were collated. Of the 238 admissions, 142 presented with epileptic seizures, representing a hospital frequency of 59.7%. Most of the seizures were generalized (83.1%), with tonic-clonic seizures predominating (64.4%). Nearly 1/6 of children (16.1%) had neurodevelopmental delay. Pregnancy and childbirth abnormalities (23.7%) were the most common associated factors. The overall evolution of seizures under treatment was good in 64.4% of cases. On the other hand, poor seizure progression was significantly proportional to the child's age (p= 0.031). Conclusion. Epilepsy accounts for nearly 60% of admissions to neuropediatrics at CNPP. The majority of seizures are generalized tonic-clonic, and have generally progressed well with treatment. Received: March 8th, 2024 Accepted: January 4th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i2.11