Epilepsies after Pocket Monster seizures.

Background: We conducted a 5-year follow-up study in patients with a seizure induced by animated cartoon "Pocket Monster."

Methods: A recurrence of seizures was observed in 25 of 91 patients with a Pocket Monster seizure. The patients were divided into two groups: Epilepsy group of 12 patients with a history of epilepsy and Nonepilepsy group of 13 patients without a history of epilepsy.

Results: Age below 12 years and generalized seizures were more often in Nonepilepsy group than in Epilepsy group. Seizure recurrence was earlier in Epilepsy group than in Nonepilepsy group. Photoparoxysmal response was relatively infrequent in Epilepsy group. The majority of patients were classified into idiopathic generalized epilepsies in Nonepilepsy group, whereas most patients were categorized into localization-related epilepsies in Epilepsy group.

Conclusions: Epilepsies after Pocket Monster seizures were different according to the presence or absence of a history of epilepsy. These results will be useful in order to determine the treatment of a patient with a visually induced seizure.