Le epilessie focali idiopatiche: Le forme occipitali

The ILAE proposed diagnostic scheme for people with epileptic seizures and with epilepsy (2001) recognises three different forms of idiopathic occipital epilepsy: Early-onset benign childhood occipital epilepsy (EOBCOE) (Panayiotopoulos type). Benign childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms (BCEOP) (Gastaut- type) and Idiopathic photosensitive occipital lobe epilepsy. EOBCOE, one of the more benign and frequent childhood focal epilepsies, is under discussion by the same authors who have defined its nosography. Factors such as occipital spikes absence or presence only in half of the patients, the presence of generalised spike-and-waves discharges in 15% of children, the exceptionality of visual symptoms, the rarity of occipital manifestations at seizures onset and the presence of a single episode in 1/3 of the cases, have led authors to suggest that Panayiotopoulos syndrome is better defined by the term "Early-onset benign childhood seizure susceptibility syndrome with occipital or extra-occipital spikes". According with a more extensive conception, the frequent overlapping between EOBCOE and Benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BCECTS) suggests the existence of an unifying condition of susceptibility. This interpretation is in accordance with the "Hereditary impairment of brain maturation" (HIBM), referring to the concept of sharp waves suggested by Doose and Baier.