Abstract
One percent of adult population suffers from epilepsy. Epilepsy is diagnosed in case of occurrence of repeated unprovoked seizures that can be generalised or focal.
The most frequent generalised seizures are tonic-clonic, absences, and myoclonic seizures. Focal seizures can be without impairment of consciousness or with clouded consciousness.
Aetiology of epileptic syndromes can be genetic, in which genetic ground is known or presumed, structural, with known and detectable lesion. Epileptic syndromes of unknown cause can have multifactorial origin or a lesion can be presumed but cannot be detected.
The most important diagnostic tools are history, EEG, MRI, and, in indicated cases, video-EEG monitoring. In differential diagnosis, mainly the syncope and the psychogenic non-epileptic seizures must be considered.
The diagnosis of epilepsy is usually not made in acute symptomatic seizures which appear as an immediate response to acute brain injury. Pharmacotherapy is effective in approximately 70–80 % of patients.
The choice of convenient antiepileptic drug is influenced by the epileptic syndrome and by characteristics of the patient. In pharmacoresistant patients the surgery should be considered.