Trend of seizure remission in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex: A retrospective medical review.

BACKGROUND

Seizures in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) tend to be intractable over time and become a subsequent psychological burden for the patients. The purpose of the current study was to describe the onset, phenotype, and factors associated with seizure remission in patients with TSC.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with TSC between 2009 and 2015 completed a questionnaire interview and underwent a systematic evaluation, including a medical review of their epilepsy history and neurobehavioral disorder assessment.

RESULTS

Of the 61 patients, 50 patients (82.0%) had a positive seizure history. The active (n = 34) and seizure remission (n = 16) groups showed significant differences in age, neurobehavioral disorder, history of refractory epilepsy, and onset age (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, and p < 0.05, respectively). The remission rates were 33.3% and 38.5% for those aged 6-18 years and over 18 years, respectively (p for trend = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Seizure remission can occur in adulthood. It shows a high correlation with patient age, minor refractory epilepsy, and neurobehavioral disorders.