What Are Petit Mal Seizures?
Petit mal seizures, also known as absence seizures, are a type of primary and age-dependent absence syndrome. The onset typically occurs before the age of 10, with a peak at around 5 years old. More than 90% of children experience remission by the age of 12. These seizures are characterized by sudden impairment of consciousness. During an episode, the child's eyes remain open, and they may hyperventilate. For the first three seconds of the seizure, speech and voluntary movements stop, the eyes may stare or move slowly, and irregular blinking might occur. Absence seizures can happen frequently—ranging from dozens to hundreds per day—and each episode is very brief. An electroencephalogram (EEG) during a seizure shows widespread high-amplitude spike-and-slow-wave discharges, biphasic waves, and slow waves.
Excluding Childhood Absence Epilepsy
If any of the following five conditions are present, it may exclude childhood absence epilepsy:
1. If there are other types of epileptic seizures before or during the absence seizure, such as generalized tonic seizures or myoclonic seizures.
2. If there is myoclonus of the eye muscles or rhythmic clonic movements, or if there are single or irregular clonic movements in the head, trunk, or limbs outside the first three seconds after the seizure begins.
3. If the epileptiform discharges on the EEG last less than four seconds.
4. If there is no significant or only mild impairment of consciousness when there are 3-4 Hz epileptiform discharges on the EEG.
5. If visual or other sensory stimuli can induce seizures.
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