[The Role of Zonisamide in the Management of Pediatric Partial Epilepsy].

In our review we discuss the group of approved antiepileptic drugs for children in Hungary. We cite the results of the review conducted by the International League Against Epilepsy on antiepileptic drug efficacy and effectiveness as initial monotherapy for newly diagnosed epileptic seizures and syndromes in pediatric age group. 25% of pediatric epilepsy is therapy resistant, so we further need new drugs, which must be investigated according to the rules of the European Medicine Agency. The ethical dilemmas of childhood drug studies lead to the situation that the new antiepileptic drugs, approved as monotherapy in adult epilepsies, are in the majority just in add-on regimen tested in pediatric patients. As clinicians we appreciate open label extension safety studies. An old-new antiepileptic drug in Europe is zonisamide. Though it was approved for first line monotherapy in pediatric and adult patients with partial and generalised epilepsy in 1989 in Japan, the European Medicine Agency licensed its use as adjunctive therapy in children aged 6 years or older with partial seizures (with or without secondary generalisation) just in 2013. The results of the openlabel extension study appeared in 2014. The mean dose received was 7.5 mg/kg/day. During the open label phase 11% of the patients achieved seizure freedom and it was maintained throughout the study. The drug was generally well tolerated. The most frequently reported treatment-related adverse events were decreased weight (6%), decreased appetite (4%), and headache (2%). No new or unexpected side effects emerged. In conclusion oral zonisamide as adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients aged 6-17 years with partial seizures demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile and efficacy over a period at least 1 year. So it is a good treatment option in this population.