Epilepsy and epileptic syndromes in children.

Recurrent seizures, known as epilepsy, are common in the pediatric age group, presenting in various forms depending on the child's age. Accurate recognition of the different epileptic syndromes and epilepsies is crucial for determining appropriate treatment and predicting the prognosis. Diagnosis requires identifying the type of seizure, the age of onset, the child's neurological condition, possible causes, family history, and the characteristics of tests such as electroencephalogram (EEG), neuroimaging, and results from complementary studies.

Epilepsy is a common condition across all stages of childhood and adolescence. The highest incidence (new cases per year) occurs in the first months of life, with figures up to 130/100,000, decreasing to $40/100,000$ after the first year of life. It remains relatively stable during the first decade of life, then decreases in adolescence to figures of $20/100,000$, a rate similar to that observed in adulthood.Prevalence (cases observed at a given moment) varies from $3$ to $40/1,000$ depending on reports from different countries.The classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes has evolved over the years. It is currently based on the site of seizure origin, being categorized as focal onset, generalized onset, or unknown onset, and according to the etiology (cause), categorized as genetic, structural, metabolic, or of unknown cause.The diagnosis is established based on the identification of the seizure type, age of onset, neurodevelopmental assessment, physical and neurological examination, pathophysiological mechanisms, and the electroencephalogram (EEG).

Regarding evolution and prognosis, 65-75% of patients achieve complete remission, but unfortunately, 10-15% develop refractory epilepsy, which is very difficult to control.