Familial Epilepsy – A Population Based Study in Yanbu Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction; Epilepsy is a common and important neurological condition. It effects children & adults and occurs in every major population of the world. Epilepsy is heterogeneous condition, manifesting on its own or as complication of other neurological or systemic diseases and its clinical form, severity and outcome vary widely. Treatment has improved considerably in recent years and the choice of the medical therapy has widened greatly. The following study shows high incidence of familial epilepsy in a Yanbu – one of the biggest industrial city of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Objectives: To study the incidence of familial epilepsy in patient population of Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study of epilepsy patients, as well as follow up of new patients of epilepsy who presented in the department of neurology at Royal Commission hospital Yanbu Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Duration of study was two years; from January 2011 to December 2012. This study included 100 patients with diagnosed of epilepsy. Results: The age range was 10-60 years; there were 39 patients (78%) of age range 10 – 20, 30 patients (60%) of age range 21 – 30, 11 patients (22%) of age range 31 – 40, 11 patients (22%) of age range 41 – 50, and 9 pat-ients (18%) of age range 51 – 61. There were both diagnosed cases of epilepsy as well as those who presented for the first time in the neurology department. Conclusions: It was seen during study that 40 patients out of 100 patients had two or more family members having epilepsy. We have not seen such high incidence in any of the studies done in the past. What could be the probable cause of this high incidence, remains to be elucidated, one possible explanation might have been polygenic inheritance amongst such patients.