الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Chronic disease registries are considered as an import ant tool for assessing the clinical course of these diseases and can lead to an understanding of their aetiologies . For epilepsy, registries are more important than for other diseases, as it is a worldwide heal_th problem with severe personal, familial and social impac t . This study aimed at establishment of a registry for epi lepsy in Alexandria H.I.in order to study the magnitude of the problem 0 f epilepsy among the health insured population. Registered cases were all patients with active epilepsy who attended H.I.during the period 1-3-88 to 28-2-89 . To prevent under-registration of cases the information were collected from many so,rces.These sources are; the epi leptic pa tien ts themselves, the records 0 f the H. I. neuropsy chiatric clinics( 8clinics), the records of epileptics who were admitted to Abdel Nasser Hospital during the year of study, the records 0 f the EEG laboratory, and the rec ords 0 f the Disability Committee o.f H.I. Information were recorded in special registration forms in a way to include data related to the patient, information as regards diagnosis and treatment and follow-up information. Registration forms were handled in a certain order to a prevent over-registration of cases.Forms were matched with the patients’name alphabetical index and H.I.number,then t*en a serial number. Each case was entered in four indices; the patients’ name alphabetical index, a diagnosis index, a serial number index and a geographical index. The total number of epileptics registered during the study period amounted to 1067 cases.From this total a sample of 500 cases was selected at random from epileptic cases who attended the eight H.I.polyclinics.Each of these clinics was visi ted once every eight days along the year 0 f study. An interview sheet was prepared to collect data from epileptic cases about personal history, occupational history, and history of the present illness. Analysis of registered data revealed that: - Epileptic cases were recorded together with other neuropsy chiatric cases and there was always repeated recording of cases. - The incidence rate of active epilepsy during the period 1-3-88 to 28-2-89 was 6.0/100,000 insured persons. The rate was slightly insignificantly higher among male cases(6.2/100,000)than among female ones(5.2/100,000). - The prevalence rate of active epilepsy as at 28-2-89 was 141.4/100~000 health insured individuals. i[ The rate was significantly higher among male cases (156.1/ 100,OOO)than among female ones(92.7/100,000) . ;[ The rate also varied significantly between pOlyclinics with the highest rate in El Hadara polyclinic(322.9/ 100,OOO)and the lowest rate in Al Gomhoreia polyclinic (74.9/100,000). .-Out of 500 cases studied,425 cases(85)were males and 75 (15)were females. - The mean age of patients was 38.7.:!: 11.3 years. Female cases were significantly younger(34.1 ~ 9.8 years)than male ones(39.5 ~ 11.3 years) . - The mean age of onset of seizures Was 26.4 ~ 13.2 years. That of females was significantly younger(23.6 ~ 10.9 years) than that of the males( 26..9 ~ 13.6 years) . - About 67.6 of cases were married,.28.8 were singles and 3.6 were widowed or separated. ~ Marital status was significantly related to sex and age of onset of seizures with rdgher percentages of singles among females and with early onset of epilepsy. - A positive family history of epilepsy was reported in 14.6 of cases and parental consanguinity was reported ~ong 25.6 of cases.