Sulthiame in refractory paediatric epilepsies: An experience of an ‘old’ antiepileptic drug in a tertiary paediatric neurology unit

PURPOSE Sulthiame is an old antiepileptic drug primarily used in a few European countries for the treatment of benign epilepsy of childhood with central temporal spikes. Other studies suggest that it might be effective in children and adults with a range of refractory seizure types. METHODS A retrospective case note review was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sulthiame as adjunctive therapy in children with refractory epilepsies. RESULTS Twenty patients (10 female) were evaluated, aged 10.7 (range 2.1-17) years. The median duration of treatment with sulthiame was 18 (range 2-37) months. Fifty five percent of patients showed at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency and two patients were seizure-free at the end of follow-up. Patients with focal seizures responded best. Seven patients reported side effects, leading to withdrawal of the drug in two (10%). CONCLUSION Sulthiame was reasonably effective and well-tolerated in a heterogeneous group of 20 children with refractory epilepsies. Although an 'old' antiepileptic drug it should be considered in a similar population.