The pathogenesis of pediatric refractory epilepsy involves a variety of factors

including hereditary predisposing genes

abnormal neural network forms

drug resistance genes

autoimmune mechanisms

etc. Refractory epilepsy in developing children often has evolution in seizure types

EEG characteristics

course of disease and prognosis. The response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is not only dependent on the seizure types

but also related to the epileptic mechanisms and syndrome types. In addition to AEDs treatment

nonconventional therapies are often needed

such as corticosteroids

intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)

ketogenic diet

epileptic surgery and vagus nerve stimulation. Because of the variation and indeterminateness in seizure types

the syndrome types and localization of seizure onset in epileptic encephalopathy is very important for cautiously selecting indications and carrying out sufficient preoperative evaluation for epileptic surgery treatment.