[P2-123] LEV vs CBZ Monotherapy as an Initial Treatment in Patients with Localization-related Epilepsy
[Background] In Japan, levetiracetam(LEV) has become commercially available since September 2009. At the beginning, it was used for patients with intractable seizures, and has been approved by insurance for monotherapy to patients with common epilepsy (4 years of age and older) since February 2015. [Objective] To report the retention rate and the adverse effects of LEV compared to those of carbamazepine(CBZ) as an initial monotherapy in patients with localization-related epilepsy. [method] The study included patients from 4 to 15 years of age diagnosed with localization-related epilepsy for the first time at our hospital from January 1, 2013 to November 27, 2015. We retrospectively reviewed by using medical records. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. [Results] 17 cases (idiopathic 1 case, cryptogenic 11 cases, symptomatic 4 cases, unknown 1 case) treated with LEV were included in this study. The average dose of LEV was 23.3mg/kg/day. 3 (18%) patients discontinued LEV due to ineffectiveness (2 cases) and abdominal pain (1 case). 47 cases (idiopathic 14 cases, cryptogenic 21 cases, symptomatic 10 cases, unknown 2 cases) treated with CBZ were included. The average dose of CBZ was 9.02mg/kg/day. 13 (28%) patients discontinued CBZ due to ineffectiveness (6 cases), eruption (5 cases), seizure aggravation (1 case), and somnolence (1case). [Conclusion] In this study, we didn't find a significant difference in the retention rate between the LEV monotherapy group and the CBZ monotherapy group (p=0.84). We suggest that adverse effects seem to be less severe in the LEV group.