Absansy can be difficult, if the above picture of a simple abscess
myoclonic, atopic or tonic components, automatisms or vegetative symptoms are added.
One patient may experience different types of absences, including both simple and complex.
Absancies with a myoclonic component appear by trembling the eyelids with a frequency of 3 per second and / or eyeballs, twitching m. orbicularis oris or nose wings, rhythmic stretching of the lips. In a number of patients during an attack, there is a slight twitching of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and / or hands. Myoclonic paroxysms involving neck muscles lead to a sharp active nod.
Absancies with an atonic component are characterized by a sudden loss of muscle tone in the muscles of the arms (loss of objects), neck (passive nod), legs (atonic-astatic seizures).
Absancies with a tonic component are accompanied by a deviation of the head, and sometimes the body back, tonic abduction of the eyeballs up or to the side.
Vegetative manifestations at absansy are manifested by mydriasis, discoloration of the skin.
Automatisms in the structure of absences can appear with a duration of attacks of more than 15 seconds: faringo-oral or alimentary (swallowing, smacking, licking), mimic, hard (rubbing hands, stroking), verbal (pronouncing individual sounds).
It should be noted that in the structure of a number of epileptic syndromes (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, Baltic myoclonus Unferriht-Lundborg, myoclonus epilepsy with Laurus Taurus, etc.) there may be so-called atypical abscesses; they are characterized by:
- gradual start and end;
- long duration (more than 20 seconds);
- less deep degree of disturbance of consciousness;
- less frequency during the day;
- the presence of post-attack confusion.
Absansy – one of the most common types of attacks in children and adolescents. Number
new cases of absences diagnosed per year among children under 16 are 6–13 per 100,000 (Loiseau P., 1992; Rocca W. A. et al., 1987). Among generalized forms of epilepsy, absences account for up to 50% of all cases. There is a predominance of girls on the floor, an average of 1.5-2 times.