Topical Review: Pathologic Basis of the Symptomatic Epilepsies in Childhood

The epilepsies in childhood are classified as primary (or idiopathic) and secondary (or symptomatic). The primary epilepsies account for two thirds of all childhood epilepsies and are presumed to be genetically determined. In the remaining one third of cases, a neuropathologic lesion can be identified. This paper summarizes the etiologies of the symptomatic epilepsies. They are classified according to the pathologic processes; malformative, metabolic, neoplastic and phakomatoses, hypoxic-ischemic, infectious, and of unknown pathologic process.