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Sudden unexplained death in children with epilepsy

From the Divisions of Neurology (Dr. Donner and Snead) and Pathology (Dr. Smith), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Elizabeth J. Donner, Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.

Background:— Sudden unexplained death is a significant cause of mortality in people with epilepsy. Risk factors that have been identified include male sex, poor compliance with medications, and antiepileptic drug (AED) polypharmacy. However, these may not apply to the pediatric population in which the causes of epilepsy differ from the adult population. Therefore, risk factors for sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in children must be evaluated independently from those in the adult population.

Methods:— Cases of SUDEP in children less than 18 years of age occurring over a 10-year period in the province of Ontario, Canada, were identified. Records were reviewed for demographic and clinical features and neuropathology findings.

Results:— Twenty-seven cases of SUDEP in children were identified. Sixty-three percent were male. Age at death ranged from 8 months to 15 years. Fourteen children had symptomatic epilepsy (52%), five had cryptogenic epilepsy (18%), and eight had idiopathic epilepsy (30%). Twelve children were treated with one AED (46%), 10 were on two AED (38%), and three were on three AED (12%). At the time of death, seven children had one serum AED concentration below the therapeutic range (35%) and 12 children had AED levels within the therapeutic range (60%).

Conclusions:— This case series represents the largest series of sudden unexplained death in children with epilepsy. At least two previously described risk factors for SUDEP in adults, low serum AED levels at time of death and AED polytherapy, do not appear to be significant in children.

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