TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Hydrocephalic Children With and Without Epilepsy*
| Epilepsy (n = 86); n (%) | No Epilepsy (n = 293); n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Patient characteristics | ||
| Male | 43 (50.0) | 166 (56.7) |
| Gestational age (wks) | ||
| <28 | 10 (13.0) | 27 (11.2) |
| 28–31 | 8 (10.4) | 25 (10.4) |
| 32–36 | 22 (28.6) | 54 (22.4) |
| 37+ | 37 (56.0) | 135 (56.0) |
| Age at last visit (yrs); mean +/− S.D. (min, max) | 6.7 +/− 3.6 (0.04, 14.9) | 5.2 +/− 3.4 (0.03, 13.6) |
| Hydrocephalus characteristics | ||
| Age at diagnosis | ||
| Prenatal/preterm† | 58 (68.2) | 189 (66.1) |
| 1 wk to 6 mo | 24 (28.2) | 56 (19.6) |
| >6–12 mo | 3 (3.5) | 41 (14.3) |
| Subtype | ||
| Spina bifida | 5 (6.1) | 72 (24.9) |
| IVH | 28 (34.2) | 72 (24.9) |
| Aqueductal obstruction | 20 (24.4) | 40 (13.8) |
| Communicating | 2 (2.4) | 29 (10.0) |
| Cysts and celes | 11 (13.4) | 27 (9.3) |
| Posterior fossa crowding | 2 (2.4) | 23 (8.0) |
| Neoplasm | 4 (4.9) | 13 (4.5) |
| Infection | 7 (8.5) | 9 (3.1) |
| Trauma | 3 (3.7) | 4 (1.4) |
| Surgery type‡ | ||
| VP shunt | 75 (96.2) | 194 (90.2) |
| Subgaleal shunt§ | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.9) |
| ETV§ | 0 (0.0) | 4 (1.9) |
| Temporary drain§ | 2 (2.6) | 10 (4.7) |
| Cyst fenestration§ | 1 (1.3) | 3 (1.4) |
| Total number of hydrocephalus-related surgical procedures; mean ± S.D. (min, max) | 3.32 ± 3.26 (1, 18) | 2.21 ± 1.82 (1, 13) |
| Epilepsy characteristics | ||
| Age of onset (yr); mean ± S.D. (min, max) | 2.7 ± 2.9 (0.0, 12.2) | |
| Years between first surgery and epilepsy diagnosis; mean ± S.D. (min, max) | 2.6 ± 2.9 (0.0, 12.2) | |
| Current seizure type | ||
| Infantile spasms | 2 (2.3) | |
| Focal onset or focal discharges on EEG | 61 (70.9) | |
| Unclear onset with generalized/multifocal discharges on EEG | 6 (7.0) | |
| Tonic +/− myoclonic +/−atonic | 14 (16.3) | |
| History of infantile spasms | 16 (19.0) | |
| Seizure control | ||
| Well controlled | 44 (55.0) | |
| Not controlled, not medically intractable | 20 (25.0) | |
| Medically intractable | 16 (20.0) |
Abbreviations:
EEG = electroencephalograph
ETV = endoscopic third ventriculostomy
IVH = intraventricular hemorrhage
*
Numbers that add to less than column total reflect missing data.
†
Onset at less than 37 weeks gestational age, observed on prenatal ultrasound, or diagnosed within 1 week of a term birth.
‡
Surgically treated children only. Each child was assigned to a single category based on the procedure that was ultimately successful in treating their hydrocephalus.
§
Without subsequent VP shunt placement.