[Post-traumatic epilepsy].

There might be 3 different forms of epilepsy following head injury: earliest seizures with occasional characteristics, early seizures prompting considerations of differential diagnosis, and, late seizures which might have a chronic course = posttraumatic epilepsy proper. The risks to have posttraumatic epilepsy for a child suffering from head injury are: penetrating cranial trauma, early seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, unconsciousness > 24 hours, depressed fracture with dural laceration and unconsciousness > 24 hours, fractures on the base of the skull, focal synchronous activity in the EEG which is related to the site of brain injury. If a or > or = 2 of b-g are given we recommend prophylactic antiepileptic therapy: in the younger (< 5 years) with a low dose of phenobarbital and in the elder (> 5 years) carbamazepine for at least 2 years of treatment.