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Abstract Epilepsy remains the most common chronic neurological disease seen in paediatric neurology units in developing countries (Izuora and Iloeje, 1989). It is one of the most common diseases encountered among school children, with an overall prevalence of 5–10 per 1000 in developing countries (Scott et al., 2001). Epilepsy, like other chronic disorders such as sickle cell anaemia, has been found to negatively affect school attendance and academic performance (Ogunfowora et al., 2005). Our work was a cross sectional study conducted in two phases : Phase Ι: Conducted in sex schools chosen randomly from Naga Hamady district at Quena and included 4826 child of age range between 6-15 years with mean age 11.8±4.8 years, they were given a questionnaire, the frequency of epilepsy defined as a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures with at least one epileptic seizure (Fisher et al.,2005).Among them 3.2/1000 were epileptics. Phase ΙΙ: Epileptic children recruited from phase Ι were enrolled in phase ΙΙ of the study they were 11 patient, all of them were males of age ranging from 6-15 years with mean age 11.5±2.9. Well informed verbal and written consent were obtained from the parents or care givers. In our study we found that: - The total prevalence rate of epilepsy among Quena school children is 3.2/1000 and the commonest age incidence of epileptic seizures is 11 years (7.9/1000). - Epileptic seizures were more frequently encountered among 6-9 years old and another beak at 11-15 years old age groups (3.7/1000). - Most of cases had their first attack at the age ( 2-9) years - Boys are only affected in different age groups and different etiologies. - 27.3% of epileptic children started their epileptic seizures attack above the age of 10 years old while, only 9.1% of children reported that they started to express their epileptic seizures below 2 years of age. -Tonic seizures are the most common among epileptic children (45.5%), then tonic- clonic seizures (36.4%). -87.5% of idiopathic epilepsy has generalized seizures, while100% of crypto/symptomatic epilepsy are generalized. -All patients with age of onset below 2 years and 2-6 years had generalized seizures while, only 83.3% of children with age of onset 6-15 years had generalized seizures. -72.7% of epileptic school children are idiopathic in etiology, while 27.3% of epileptic school children are symptomatic. - The epilepsy in all patients of age of onset below 2 years was crypto/ symptomatic in etiology. While, all patients of age of onset 2-6 years are idiopathic in etiology. -54.5% of the surveyed epileptic school children respond well to treatment . - The simple partial epilepsy is well responded to treatment (100%) while, only 50% of generalized epilepsy children responded to treatment. One patient with absence subtype of generalized epilepsy is responding well to treatment. - Idiopathic epilepsy responds to treatment by (62.5%) better than crypto/symptomatic epilepsy (33.3%). Early age of onset of epilepsy (below 2 years) is less responding to treatment. All the simple partial cases had an abnormal EEG (100%). While, 90% of the generalized cases have an abnormal EEG. All crypto/symptomatic epileptic cases had an abnormal EEG(100%). While, 87.5% of idiopathic epileptic cases haad an abnormal EEG. |