| petit mal | <neurology> A type of seizure (absence seizures) that in contrast to the grand mal seizure, are noted for their brevity and for the degree of loss of awareness (brief staring spell) accompanied by minimal motor manifestations. A common form of childhood epilepsy. (06 Oct 1997) |
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| petit mal epilepsy | A generalised epilepsy syndrome characterised by the onset of absence seizures in childhood, typically at age six or seven years. There is a strong genetic predisposition and girls are affected more often than boys. EEG reveals generalised 3 Hz spike-wave activity on a normal background. Prognosis for remission is good if the patient does not also have generalised tonic-clonic seizures. See: absence. Synonym: petit mal epilepsy, pyknolepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| petit mal seizure | An absence seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| epilepsy with grand mal seizures on awakening | Generalised epilepsy syndrome characterised by onset in the second decade of life, typically with generalised tonic-clonic seizures, of which most occur shortly after awakening (regardless of the time of day) and are exacerbated by sleep deprivation. There is a genetic predisposition and EEG shows one of several generalised patterns of interictal discharges; photosensitivity is common. (05 Mar 2000) |