Background: To report on the first multicenter Italian experience with rufinamide as adjunctive drug in children, adolescents and young adults with refractory childhoodonset epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. Methods: Thirty-eight patients (19 males, 19 females), aged between 4 and 34 (mean 13.7 ± 8.3, median 12.5), all affected by different types of childhood-onset refractory epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, were treated with rufinamide as adjunctive drug for a mean period of 11.4 months (range 3–26 months). Results: Fifteen of 38 patients (39.5%) had a ‡50% seizure reduction in countable seizures. Complete seizure freedom was achieved in one of these patients (2.6%). Three patients (7.9%) had a 25–49% seizure reduction, whilst seizure frequency remained unchanged in 15 (39.5%) and increased in five patients (13.1%). Eleven patients (28.9%) reported adverse side effects. Vomiting was reported in five patients (13.1%); drowsiness, decreased appetite and irritability with migraine manifested in other four patients. They were transient and mild in all cases. Conclusion: Rufinamide may be an effective and well-tolerated adjunctive drug for the treatment of refractory childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. Rufinamide was most effective in patients with dropattacks and (bi)frontal spike–wave discharges. Introduction Rufinamide is a structurally triazole-derivative (1-[2,6- difluorophenyl)methyl]-1hydro-1,2,3-triazole-carboxamide) novel antiepileptic drug, structurally unrelated to the existing antiepileptic drugs, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Lennox–Gastaut syndrome in patients aged 4 and over, and for the treatment of partial seizures in adults and adolescents. The proposed mechanism of action is the limitation of excessive
Rufinamide in refractory childhood epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
COPPOLA, Giangennaro;
2010-01-01
Abstract
Background: To report on the first multicenter Italian experience with rufinamide as adjunctive drug in children, adolescents and young adults with refractory childhoodonset epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. Methods: Thirty-eight patients (19 males, 19 females), aged between 4 and 34 (mean 13.7 ± 8.3, median 12.5), all affected by different types of childhood-onset refractory epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, were treated with rufinamide as adjunctive drug for a mean period of 11.4 months (range 3–26 months). Results: Fifteen of 38 patients (39.5%) had a ‡50% seizure reduction in countable seizures. Complete seizure freedom was achieved in one of these patients (2.6%). Three patients (7.9%) had a 25–49% seizure reduction, whilst seizure frequency remained unchanged in 15 (39.5%) and increased in five patients (13.1%). Eleven patients (28.9%) reported adverse side effects. Vomiting was reported in five patients (13.1%); drowsiness, decreased appetite and irritability with migraine manifested in other four patients. They were transient and mild in all cases. Conclusion: Rufinamide may be an effective and well-tolerated adjunctive drug for the treatment of refractory childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathies other than Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. Rufinamide was most effective in patients with dropattacks and (bi)frontal spike–wave discharges. Introduction Rufinamide is a structurally triazole-derivative (1-[2,6- difluorophenyl)methyl]-1hydro-1,2,3-triazole-carboxamide) novel antiepileptic drug, structurally unrelated to the existing antiepileptic drugs, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Lennox–Gastaut syndrome in patients aged 4 and over, and for the treatment of partial seizures in adults and adolescents. The proposed mechanism of action is the limitation of excessiveI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
