Il felbamato in add-on nel trattamento delle epilessie sintomatiche farmacoresistenti

Twenty-three patients (14 males and 9 females, mean age 16.6 years, range 3-37 years) with refractory symptomatic partial or generalized epilepsy received open-label felbamate (FBM) as an add-on therapy to their background antiepileptic drugs. The mean FBM daily dose was 36.1 mg/kg/day (range 13- 45). The mean duration of FBM treatment was 12.3 months (range 2-24). Fifteen patients (65.2%) are still receiving FBM, and 8 (34.8%) have withdrawn for lack of efficacy or poor compliance. Of the 23 patients 7 (30.4%) achieved a seizure reduction of 50% or more, including 2 subjects who were seizure-free (8.7%). No severe adverse effects were observed. Weight loss (21.7%) and anorexia (17.4%) were the most frequently reported adverse effects. We conclude that FBM can be considered a useful add-on treatment of the refractory symptomatic epilepsies, also in the long term.