A family with benign adult familial myoclonus epilepsy (BAFME) in which a few subjects have had partial seizures

Abstract

A family in which seven members showed a various epileptic seizures, finger-tremor, myoclonus and photo-sensitivity is described. In this family, the onset of epilepsy was late, starting after 20 years of age, except for one patient who experienced the first seizure at nineteen years of age. The frequency of epileptic seizure was rare ranging only once a year to once in several years. The seizures were well controlled with anticonvulsants. Out of 7 cases, 2 showed partial seizures and the other 2 were suspected of showing similar types of seizures. The EEG findings showed that the paroxysmal discharges were well localized. The family reported here is considered to have benign adult familial myoclonus epilepsy (BAFME), based on their clinical features. It has been generally thought that the seizure type of BAFME is the generalized tonic-clonic seizure and that EEG findings show the (poly) spike and wave complex which distribute either locally or diffusely. In contrast, partial seizures and localized paroxysms in EEG were mainly observed in the family members of the present study. We would claim that the types of seizures occurring in the cases of BAFME need to be reevaluated.