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Introduction: We performed this study to confirm known risk factors and to evaluate new risk factors for subsequent epilepsy with FC on Jeju Island, South Korea.

 

Methods: We reviewed retrospectively patients whose first FC developed less than 5 years of age among patients who visited because of FC to the Pediatric Department at the Jeju National University Hospital between March 2005 and May 2013.

 

Results: 207 (138 boys and 69 girls) were enrolled in this study. The average age at the first FC was 18.8 months. The average total number of FC was 4.2. Family history of FC and epilepsy were found in 29.1% and 8.2%. Abnormal findings of EEG were observed in 39.1%. 100 patients were diagnosed with complex FC. Complex features as initial FC were observed in 29.4%. Subsequent epilepsies were occurred in 23.2%. Univariate analysis showed that low educational qualification of parents was one of the factors affecting the subsequent epilepsy (p = 0.01). By using multivariate analysis, factors with significant difference were as follows: late onset at FC above 3 years old, high frequencies of FC, complex features as initial FC, family history of epilepsy and abnormal findings of EEG.

 

Conclusions: We confirmed the known risk factors for subsequent epilepsy and stress out the importance of late onset at FC and initial complex FC. Further studies are needed to confirm low educational level as the risk factor.

febrile seizure, subsequent epilepsy