Abstracts

Oxcarbazepine has been approved for use as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children ages 2 - 16 with epilepsy. In our practive we used oxcarbazepine in an adult population both as initial monotherapy and as conversion to monotherapy in patients with varying seizure types. We also measured oxcarbazepine levels in the form of the monohydroxy metabolite (MHD) thought to be the pharmacologically active moiety of oxcarbazepine. This was done to assess whether or not these levels were clinically relevant., We have retrospectively reviewed records of 25 patients in which oxcarbazepine was used as monotherapy. Seizure types treated included: simple and complex partial seizures with or without secondarily generalization and generalized seizures., We were able to maintain monotherapy treatment with oxcarbazepine in almost all patients because of the degree of seizure control as well as tolerability. MHD levels varied at given doses between individuals, so these must be titrated on a case to case basis. There was also a wide range of levels which achieved seizure control., Oxcarbazepine proved effective and well tolerated as monotherapy treatment in adults with various seizure types., (Supported by: Funding in the form of a grant through Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.)