Benign epilepsy of childhood with occipital paroxysms

Benign epilepsy of childhood with occipital paroxysms  was originally described as an idiopathic focal epilepsies with age at onset between 6 and 17 years, with visual ictal symptoms, frequent postictal migraine, and interictal unilateral or bilateral occipital spike –and wave EEG discharges that are facilitated by eye closure. This form accounts for no more than about 1% of epilepsies.
A more frequent form of this syndrome, observed in about 3% of all children with epilepsy, appears between 2 and 8 years with prolonged but rare sleep-related seizures with tonic eye and head deviation, vomiting, and hemiclonic jerks. Differential diagnosis includes acute symptomatic seizures, or abdominal emergencies and symptomatic occipital epilepsy. Treatment is rarely necessary.

If you have a child who you think may have this condition and you would like us to review the diagnosis or provide genetic testing please contact us at neuroscience@meyer.it.