Abstract
Background and aimCatamenial epilepsy is the type of seizures during the reproductive phase of menstruation due to hormonal changes during the different phases of menstruation. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of epileptic seizures in women during the menstruation cycle and its management.Material and methodsThis study was conducted at the neurology department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, Pakistan. The study's duration was six months, from the 22nd of January 2020 to the 22nd of July 2020. The sample size for catamenial epilepsy in female epileptic patients of reproductive age was 78%. After approval by the ethical committee of JPMC, data collection started. Data was collected and analyzed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22; IBM Inc., Armonk, USA). Mean, and the standard deviation was calculated for age, duration of epilepsy, duration of antiepileptic, and antiepileptic drug. A Chi-square test was applied, and p≤0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference.ResultsA total of 184 female patients of reproductive age were selected for this study. The mean duration of epilepsy was 15.96 ± 8.85 months. The mean duration of antiepileptic drugs was 11.16 ± 7.53 months. In 73 patients (39.7%), EEG showed increased seizure activity during particular phases of the menstrual cycle. Catamenial epilepsy was seen in 73 patients (39.7%). The stratification according to age, duration of epilepsy, duration of antiepileptic drugs, the antiepileptic drug was done to observe the effect of these modifiers on catamenial epilepsy.ConclusionCatamenial epilepsy is relatively common epilepsy. The physician should evaluate patients when the seizures are refractory to the treatment. The females should manage a seizure diary, which will be beneficial in the management of epilepsy. In women with epilepsy, catamenial epilepsy should be considered in the diagnosis when the seizures are refractory to optimal treatment.
Highlights
The female epileptic patients may have seizure patterns associated with hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone levels [1]
Catamenial epilepsy was seen in 73 patients (39.7%)
The stratification according to age, duration of epilepsy, duration of antiepileptic drugs, the antiepileptic drug was done to observe the effect of these modifiers on catamenial epilepsy
Summary
The female epileptic patients may have seizure patterns associated with hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone levels [1]. Catamenial epilepsy (CE) is defined as the type of seizures related to the menstrual cycle [3]. The reported prevalence of catamenial clustering among women with epilepsy varies widely between 10 to 78 percent. This is mainly due to methodological differences among studies, which have used different patient populations, the various criteria for diagnosis, and different recording mechanisms to link seizures with menstrual cycle phases [6, How to cite this article Kumar D, Iltaf S, Umer A, et al (November 22, 2020) The Frequency of Catamenial Epilepsy in Female Epileptic Patients of Reproductive Age Group Presented to the Tertiary Care Hospital. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of epileptic seizures in women during the menstruation cycle and its management
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