[Clinical research of patients with epilepsy over age 50 years--a retrospective study of early onset case].
One hundred-sixteen patients with epilepsy over 50 years old were investigated to explore the clinical characteristics of epilepsy in elderly persons. Eighty-four patients having seizures within the last 3 years (residual group) were compared with 32 patients having no seizures within the last 3 years (disappeared group). Regarding the epilepsy type, there were 87 partial epilepsies (64 in the residual group and 23 in the disappeared group) which were approximately 70 percent of the total patients. Generalized epilepsies were comparatively rare in the both groups. Eleven patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy were observed in the residual group. Regarding the seizure type, generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) were more likely to disappear than partial seizures regardless of number of seizures the patient had. Thirty-eight patients (29 in the residual group and 9 in the disappeared group) had histories of psychiatric problems. Paranoid states were most commonly seen in 12 patients in the residual group and 5 patients in the disappeared group. Intellectual disturbance was seen more frequently in the residual group.