[Epilepsy].

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder which affects about 30,000 persons in Norway. 10% of the population may have experienced a single seizure, most of them occurring as a febrile seizure in childhood. Specialists in neurology and pediatrics are responsible for the diagnostic procedures and treatment. However, most doctors will see patients with seizures. This must be recognized as a symptom with many causes, rather than as a specific kind of disease. The author briefly reviews diagnosis, classification and treatment, with special emphasis on aspects which may be of importance for the general practitioner.