Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Background
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is the name given to a group of severe epilepsies which occur in childhood. It sometimes follows the onset of seizures in the first year of life, which may include infantile spasms (see West syndrome).
The onset, which is usually under the age of five years,may be quite acute, with multiple seizures and loss of skills, or initially as infrequent seizures. Although originally described as having a characteristic EEG (electroencephalogram) pattern of slow spike-wave, the main clinical features of this condition are of a child developing several types of seizures with slowing or regression in development.