The Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in South of Iran

 Little is known about the epidemiology of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in the developing world. This study aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with TLE in southern Iran.

 In this retrospective study, all patients with TLE who had referred to the Outpatient Epilepsy Clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from 2008 to 2013 were studied. Demographic variables and the clinical signs/symptoms of this disease were summarized descriptively.

 225 patients (113 males& 112 females) were studied. Age at seizure onset was 17.7 years. Complex partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures, and auras were reported by 179 (79.5%), 160 (71.1%), and 139 (61.7%), respectively. Focal seizure waves were observed in 201 patients (90.6%). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal in 39 patients (17.3%) and mesial temporal sclerosis was detected in 117 patients (52%).

 Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common epileptic syndrome. Age at onset spans a wide range, from infancy to adulthood. Complex partial seizures are the most common seizure type; however this is not a defining seizure type. Electroencephalography and MRI are ancillary diagnostic tests. However, atypical findings in a patient with a typical history of TLE should not deter from correct diagnosis.