Abstract
This paper was based on 37 cases with the West syndrome and 29 cases with the Lennox syndrome, which were followed for more than five years. The materials were divided into the following groups: 14 cases which were converted from the West to the Lennox syndrome, 23 cases with the West syndrome excluding the patients with the conversion to the Lennox syndrome and 15 cases with the Lennox syndrome which were not converted from the West syndrome. On the above-mentioned three groups long-term prognosis and factors influencing the prognosis were investigated.
The patients with the conversion from the West to the Lennox syndrome were the worst about the prognosis of seizure control, EEG findings and abilities of daily life. Risk factors influencing the conversion from the West to the Lennox syndrome were age of onset of the West syndrome, treatment lag, initial effects of steroids and neurological development before the attacks. The factors influencing the prognosis of the abilities of daily life were initial effects of steroids and relapse or long duration of attacks in the West syndrome, and continuance of seizures, presence of underlying etiologies and continuous appearance of proxysmal discharges in EEG in the Lennox syndrome
