Overview of Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

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Benign focal epilepsy of childhood is also known as benign rolandic epilepsy or benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. Lingual epilepsy, sylvian seizures, benign centrotemporal epilepsy are also other names given to this disorder. It is most general form of epilepsy and particularly age related. Child having age between 2-13 year is mostly affected but peak years are between 7-10 years. It stops automatically up to age of 15. It is consist of hemifacial seizures and if seizure occur nocturnally then it may have 50% chances to become generalized. Benign focal epilepsy of childhood genetically inherited as an autosomal dominant attribute. Focal seizure lasts for few seconds and child is fully aware and knows what happened to him during seizure. Simple partial motor seizures and sometimes sensory symptoms are mainly associated with BFEC.

Symptoms for Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

• Seizure occurs mostly at night or during sleeping without loss of consciousness
  
• Muscle contraction and relaxation on one side of face sometime extended up to arms followed by some mouth movements.
  
• Difficulty in learning and behavioral disturbances
  
• Pooling of saliva
  
• Difficulty or drooling in speaking and headache may occur during seizure.
  
• Lips, gums and cheek involve when seizures occurred at day time.

Diagnosis for Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

1. Only EEG test is sufficient for diagnosis of benign focal epilepsy of childhood. EEG show diphasic, high-amplitude centrotemporal spikes and usually slow waves.
   
2. Neurologic examination and MRI are also done which shows most of the time normal result.

Treatment for Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

• Carbamazepine (Tegretol) is successfully used as anticonvulsant drug in the treatment of benign focal epilepsy of childhood.
  
• Neurontin, trileptal, phenytoin, phenobarbital, sulthiame and valproic acid are also sometimes used.

Prognosis for Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

Prognosis for benign focal epilepsy of childhood is excellent even difficult seizure is also controlled after prognosis. Rare seizure persisted for months or years and automatically vanishes after some years. Approximately all patients get remission by adolescence.