Introduction: It is very difficult to identify metabolic causes of epileptic crises. This is partly because metabolic disorders are not fully understood and partly because the complementary tests required for their identification can be undertaken only in a few laboratories.
Development: We describe the characteristics of the metabolic disorders which may most frequently lead to epileptic crises occurring during the neonatal period, the first year of life, between the ages of one and six years and between six and fifteen years of age. We also emphasize the findings which may help in orientation towards diagnosis of these metabolic disorders, and the complementary tests required for confirmation.