ABSTRACT
Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), otherwise known as petit mal, pyknolepsy or Friedmann syndrome, is an age-dependent, idiopathic form of generalized epilepsy, characterized by the following features:1-5
• a strong family history of similar seizures • onset before puberty in previously normal children • female preponderance • typical absence seizures as the initial and
predominant seizure type
symmetric, and synchronous discharge of regular 3-Hz spike-waves on a normal background (Figure 11A.1)
• predisposition to development of generalized tonicclonic seizures (GTCS) during adolescence
• good response to treatment and good prognosis. CAE represents the paradigm of idiopathic general-
ized epilepsy. Typical absence seizures, however, are not exclusive of CAE and may be the symptom of a variety of other generalized epilepsies, including juvenile absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, myoclonic absence epilepsy and a number of conditions awaiting further studies and confirmation.
