AGGRAVATION OF EPILEPSY ON LEVETIRACETAM THERAPY: 28 CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS, RISK FACTORS AND POSSIBILITY OF PROPHYLACTIC

The authors had properly analyzed 28 clinical cases of epilepsy aggravation on levetiracetam therapy in pediatric patients receiving levetiracetam (n = 183). Risk of aggravation was 15,3 % (n = 28), including aggravation of epileptic status in 3,3 % of cases (n = 6). Levetiracetam could aggravate the following types of epileptic seizures: predominantly tonic spasms and myoclonic seizures, atypical absences with addition of negative epileptic myoclonus de novo, rarely – focal seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures and in some cases could aggravate status epilepticus of atypical absences, myoclonic, hemiconvulsive, tonic-autonomic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. So, levetiracetam in population of infancy, early childhood and pre-school age children (before 7 years) must be used very carefully in consideration of potential risk of epilepsy aggravation.