Reassessing a teen’s epilepsy to achieve seizure freedom
Diagnosing epilepsy can be complex, especially when syndromes evolve or overlap, and often requires ongoing reassessment as new information becomes available
Emma, a 19-year-old student from Melbourne, presents to an adult epilepsy specialist with a pre-existing diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome.
She has a history of frequent “staring episodes”. These were first noticed at age 16, characterised by brief periods of blank staring lasting 10–20 seconds, accompanied by mild confusion.
Initially infrequent, they increased to up to four times a day at worst. Family members describe them as episodes of unresponsiveness, without automatisms or prolonged post-ictal confusion.
There is a prominent family history of epilepsy, with several relatives experiencing both childhood and young adulthood-onset seizures.
