الفهرس 
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Abstract
Epilepsy is a disease of the brain and is defined by any of the following conditions:
1. At least two unprovoked seizures occurring more than 24h apart.
2. One unprovoked seizure and a probability of more seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60%) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next 10 years.
3. Diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome.
Antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy is the mainstay of treatment for most patients. In most cases, treatment has to be individualized as there is no ideal antiepileptic drug.
In most epileptic patients, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are withdrawn after 2 years of seizure freedom. A seizure free period of two years appears justifiable, where the semiology of the seizure, neurological examination and imaging/EEG findings need to be considered prior to drug withdrawal. Drug withdrawal is over 3-6 months and one drug at a time in cases of polytherapy.
The proportion of patients with recurrence of seizures during or after treatment withdrawal ranges from 12% to 66%. The recurrence rate is highest in the first 12 months (especially in the first six months) and tends to decrease thereafter .Factors mainly associated with seizure recurrence after withdrawal of AEDs are: gender, age of onset of seizure, family history of epilepsy, etiology, seizure type, abnormal neurological examination, intellectual deficit (IQ<70), age at time of AED withdrawal, duration of seizure freedom, number of drugs used and EEG abnormalities.
This study was conducted on 153 patients diagnosed before as idiopathic epilepsy , 58 patients remained seizure free and 95 had recurrent seizures
Our aim is to evaluate recurrence of idiopathic (primary) epilepsy in children after complete response and treatment withdrawal to determine the risk of recurrence and related risk factors after drug withdrawal.
Data records were extracted from patients’ files and included:
• Age, sex, residence.
• If other members of the family had epilepsy.
• Previous history of febrile convulsions.
• Age of onset of epilepsy.
• Type of seizures (generalized or partial).
• Type of antiepileptic drugs (monotherapy or polytherapy).
• Recurrence of epilepsy after treatment withdrawal.
• Duration of seizure free after AEDs withdrawal and before recurrence.
• EEG finding of each patient (at diagnosis).
• Neurological examinations.
• Neuroimaging studies.
The result of our study was that the overall seizure recurrence rate after AEDs withdrawal was 62%. The recurrence rate was higher in the first year (86.3%) and after the first year the recurrence rate was 13.7%.
It was found that age of onset of epilepsy in the first two years of life, partial epilepsy, polytherapy and rapid withdrawal of AEDs through 3months represent significant risk factors for recurrence of seizures.