Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes

Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is the most common idiopathic partial epilepsy syndrome in childhood, ranking second only to childhood absence epilepsy in incidence under the age of 15 years. It has a classical EEG pattern of high amplitude centrotemporal sharp waves that may be bilateral or unilateral, accentuated by sleep. There is a likely autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with incomplete penetrance. Affected individuals are neurologically normal. The syndrome is generally outgrown with or without anticonvulsants by age 18 years, but treatment with low-dose carbamazepine can be beneficial if desired.