Use of carbamazepine in epilepsy. Results in 87 patients.

The anticonvulsive properties of carbamazepine (Tegretol) were investigated in 87 patients who suffered with various forms of epileptic seizures. All of these patients had been refractory to treatment with one or more of the standard antiepileptic drugs. This study demonstrated that carbamazepine is an effective anticonvulsant and particularly useful in the control of psychomotor (temporal lobe) epilepsy. Visual disturbances, primarily diplopia, and cutaneous reactions were the most common side effects observed in this group of patients. No irreversible untoward reactions were encountered. A review of the literature revealed that other investigators also found carbamazepine effective in the control of epileptic seizures. Several physicians reported serious and fatal hematopoietic disturbances in association with this therapy.