Abstracts

To evaluate efficacy, effects on safety, quality of life and tolerability of vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) in children with refractory epilepsy, we reviewed 7 patients who underwent VNS implantation. We retrospectively studied medical record of 7 pediatric patients who underwent VNS implantation between December 2001 and April 2004. The age at operation ranged from 6 year 5 months to 11 year 9 months. Duration of follow-up ranged from 12 months and 44 months. In all patients, the seizure was medically intractable and one of them was medically and surgically intractable. In 4 patients the epilepsy was symptomatic. Of the 4 patients, three had a history of meningoencephalitis and one had patchygyria. Five patients(71%) had 50% or more reduction in the seizure frequency and the onset of seizure reduction ocurred within 3 months after VNS implantation. The VNS differed in efficacy according to the seizure type. A complex partial seizure was effective in 50% of the patients, but efficacy not shown with myoclonic seizure. And there was no relationship between seizure duration before VNS activation and efficacy of VNS. In four patients there were improvements in the quality of life such as alertness, mood, verbal communication and motor function. EEG was normalized in one patient. Side effects were a transient hoarseness in four patients and wound infection in one patients, but these were tolerable. VNS is an effective, safe adjunctive therapy in medically or surgically refractory pediatric epilepsy and also effective in improving quality of life.