An 11 year old female with a first episode of absence status is described. Clinical manifestations, ictal and post-ictal EEGs were generalized. An IV loading dose of phenytoin resulted in an abrupt cessation of both clinical and EEG ictal phenomena, and later was found to be effective in suppressing inter-ictal bursts of 3 per second spike and slow wave discharges. This response is unusual since phenytoin is considered ineffective in controlling petit mal epilepsy.
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