Citation

Fehlow P, Tennstedt A. Nervenheilkd. 1994; 13(7): 346-353.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The evaluation of the autopsy findings of 100 cases of epilepsy, over 50% with severe neurodeficits, exhibited a middle expectation of life of 39 years. Patients with microdysgenesis, microencephaly and severe infantile brain damage didn't survive the fourth decade of life. Predominating in them were inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract and/or cardiac insufficiency. Death of non-institutionalized patients with idiopathic or cryptogenetic epilepsy was caused most frequently directly by fits or central failure, only in this group there were suicides; these patients need therefore expecially psychosocial prevention. Besides the diseases of respiratory tract there were no relevant concomitant diseases shortening life. Selective necroses of parenchyma (rarefaction of cells in CA 1 and in the cerebellum) were found in 6 of 7 cases with sudden death. Cardial supervision of all epileptics is important.

Language: de

Keywords

adolescent; adult; human; child; female; infant; male; aged; autopsy; life expectancy; epilepsy; article; major clinical study; controlled study; human tissue; sudden death; autopsy findings of patients with epilepsy; prevention of the increased mortality of epileptics