Self-Limited Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes in Younger Ages: Worse but Real!

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical features and consequences of self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) between two age groups by the consideration of a pediatric cohort. METHODS: Patient data and follow-up observations of children with SeLECTS were documented between 2012 and 2023. Clinical profiles, electrocephalogram (EEG) patterns, and treatment details of the children diagnosed with SeLECTS were retrospectively examined and analyzed in two separate groups based on age at diagnosis. RESULTS: A group of 198 patients with SeLECTS was included. The study group was divided into two subgroups as the group under age 5 (n = 54) and the group over age 5 (n = 144). The number of antiepileptics needed for seizure control ( P = 0.041) and the need for more than one antiepileptic ( P = 0.02) were found to be higher, with statistical significance, in the group younger than 5 years old. Moreover, the duration of control of seizures ( P < 0.001) and recovery of EEG was longer ( P < 0.001) in the group younger than 5 years. Electrical status epilepticus in slow-wave sleep emerged in four patients, and findings revealed that all of these patients were in the group over the age of 5. CONCLUSIONS: SeLECTS patients diagnosed under the age of 5 experience a longer duration to achieve seizure control and EEG normalization. Additionally, these patients often require a greater number of antiepileptic medications for effective seizure management.