Abstract: Objective：To analyze the longterm outcome of seizures, and to explore the effects of related factors, including the age at onset, types of epileptic syndromes, and etiological factors, etc. Methods:The clinical data were retrospectively surveyed from 265 children with regular follow-ups for over 1 year at Peking University First Hospital (Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2006). The seizure-free rate was calculated as an at least one-year non-occurrence of seizures. The long-term outcome of seizures was analyzed in association with factors including the age at onset, types of epileptic syndromes, and etiology. Results:(1) Seizure types were clarified in all the cases, with combined types of seizures in 17. Epileptic syndromes were identified in 163/265 cases (61.5%). With regular antiepileptic drug therapy, 57.9% children with epilepsy could be seizure-free. (2) Seizure-free was demonstrated in 142/265 cases with a seizure-free rate of 53.6% in this group. (3) The age at onset was youngest in the non-efficacy group. (4) The seizure-free rate was different by syndrome types of epilepsies, with a higher seizure-free rate in idiopathic generalized epilepsy (72.4%) and benign epilepsy in children with centro-temporal spikes (65.5%), whereas a lowest rate (21.7%) in infantile spasms. (5) A significant difference of seizure-free rates was revealed in different etiological groups. Children with idiopathic epilepsy achieved higher seizure-free rate (69.2%) than those with symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsy (45.4%). Conclusion:The epilepsy children with regular antiepileptic drug therapy had generally satisfactory outcome of seizures, with over half cases of seizure-free. The prognosis was demonstrated to be closely related with the etiological factors, syndrome types and age at onset.

Key words: Epilepsy, Prognosis, Child