A temporary spike: Investigating Lennox–Gastaut syndrome incidence in the <scp>US</scp> following <scp>FDA</scp> approval of cannabidiol

This temporary increase occurred in temporal proximity to the 2018 FDA approval of CBD for LGS. While causality cannot be inferred, this descriptive finding may reflect a confluence of factors including patient-caregiver interest and clinician practices to gain access to CBD. Clinician practices may have involved applying/updating LGS ICD codes to patients previously diagnosed with LGS and misdiagnosing patients with severe epilepsies as LGS. These findings underscore the clinical and research importance of appropriately using the LGS ICD code and ensuring accurate, reliable diagnosis of LGS based on standardized, well-defined criteria. Nevertheless, given this work's reliance on administrative data, readers should interpret results cautiously, as misclassification and inconsistent coding practices can influence epidemiologic estimates and research conclusions.