Electroencephalographic abnormalities in 351 Nigerians with epilepsy.

A review of the electroencephalographs of 351 epileptic patients admitted to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna from March, 1982 to November, 1984 is presented. Those under 20 years age group predominated in the cohort studied. The frequencies of generalised epilepsy and partial epilepsy were almost equal. Partial epilepsy with complex symptomatology was common and petit mal was relatively rare. The inter-ictal EEG record was normal in 35.6% who were usually young and presumably suffered from idiopathic epilepsy. Differences existing in the EEG records reported and those reported in Nigeria and elsewhere are discussed. The need for an epidemiological study of the general population in the Northern Nigeria is emphasized.