Abstract

Introduction: The Priority Epilepsy Program (PPE) in Mexico created and analyzed the registry of patients with epilepsy in the state of Chihuahua. Subjects and methods: 649 patients with epilepsy from medical consultations in the public and private sectors of the State of Chihuahua were entered into the National Epilepsy Registry. The registry was compiled from March 2021 to December 2022 using questionnaires and data from electronic records. Results: Of the 649 patients, 334 (51.5%) were male and 315 (48.5%) were female. A total of 18.6% had a family history of epilepsy and 4.3% had a family history of febrile seizures. A total of 303 patients (46.7%) had focal seizures, 288 (44.4%) had generalized seizures, and 34 (11.2%) had focal seizures that progressed to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. In 2 cases (0.3%), the onset was unknown, and 56 cases (8.6%) were unclassified. A total of 595 (91.7%) did not meet the characteristics of a syndrome. There were 31 cases (4.8%) of epilepsy in newborns. At the time of registration, 574 patients (88.4%) were taking antiseizure medication and 75 patients (11.6%) were no longer taking it. Five patients (0.8%) underwent epilepsy surgery: one callosotomy, two vagal stimulators, one lesionectomy, and one transpial resection. Conclusion: The pediatric population predominated, and the top three causes of epilepsy were brain malformations, brain atrophy, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In adults, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors were reported. The most commonly used anti-seizure drugs were levetiracetam and valproic acid. The frequency of refractory epilepsy was 43 cases (6.6%)

Keywords

antiseizure, epilepsy, etiology, registries, seizures, syndrome