Uncontrolled epilepsy is not necessarily the same as drug-resistant epilepsy: Differences between populations with newly diagnosed epilepsy and chronic epilepsy

Abstract

Background: A proportion of patients with seemingly "uncontrolled" epilepsy could still control their epilepsy with further pharmacological manipulations. It is possible that their epilepsy might not be truly "drug-resistant". We audited the patients with "uncontrolled epilepsy" using the recent ILAE definition of drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy at Glasgow and patients with chronic epilepsy treated in Hong Kong were independently assessed at their last clinic visit. If the patient was not seizure-free, the epilepsy was considered "uncontrolled". In this latter situation, if the patient had adequate trials of two or more tolerated, appropriately chosen..