Idiopathic epilepsy, otherwise unclassified 10. Symptomatic epilepsy, otherwise unclassified 11. Localization-related epilepsy with complex partial seizures Primary or idiopathic epilepsies Primary epilepsies are those with no apparent cause. They are usually characterized by onset during childhood or adolescence, stereotyped pattern, positive family history, a good response to antiepileptic drugs, and absence of evidence of other neurological disease. Persons with primary epilepsy are also likely to experience significant remissions.
Primary epilepsies occur as both localization-related and generalized epileptic syndromes.
Symptomatic or lesional epilepsies Symptomatic or lesional epilepsies are characterized by known causes or evidence of generalized or focal structural brain lesions or focal neurological dysfunction. Secondary epilepsies are further classified as symptomatic if the cause is known, or as cryptogenic if the patient's presumed brain lesion is of undetermined origin. Most of these persons have localization-related epilepsy. Response to medication is somewhat erratic and the outcome less favorable than among the primary epilepsies. Examples of secondary epilepsies include post-traumatic epilepsy, epilepsy following meningitis, and epilepsy associated with brain tumors.