Effectiveness of Rufinamide in the Treatment of Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy With Atypical Evolution

Abstract

Rufinamide (RFD) is a novel drug that was recently approved as an adjunctive treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Despite its reported effectiveness in generalized seizures (tonic, atonic, or tonic-clonic) in this syndrome, few data on its use in idiopathic generalized epilepsy are available. Indeed, the scientific evidence to date is limited to anecdotal cases or isolated clinical experiences. We report an uncommon, though paradigmatic, case of a woman affected by juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) who, following a prolonged seizure-freedom period and the consequent withdrawal of valproate, presented a seizure relapse accompanied by a worsening in her electroclinical pattern. In view of this atypical evolution of JAE, characterized by drug-resistant seizures (absence and generalized tonic-clonic) and the progressive increase in electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities, several antiepileptic drugs were used, though to no benefit. The use of RFD instead led to a gradual control of the seizures and normalization of the EEG findings. In addition to this clinical experience, we briefly review the literature on the use of RFD in refractory generalized epilepsy.