This report of the proceedings of the Colloquium on Occipital Seizures and Epilepsies in Children held in Milan in March 1992 covers topics such as: ontogenesis, structures and function of the occipital lobe; occipital epilepsy in children; and structures and functions of the occipital lobe. That an epileptogenic process common to all ages manifests itself differently according to the stages of cerebral evolution suggests that a deeper investigation of these age-dependent epilepsies and their related conditions is necessary. The recent findings of basic sciences in epileptogenicity are compared with clinical data and developed towards practical applications of general interest, such as the fundamental differential diagnosis between occipital seizures and migrainous attacks. Since the normal maturation of the brain is the post-natal period largely depends on early sensory-motor experience, particularly visual functions, it is essential to consider research on the maturation of the visual system, as it may offer stimulating insights into the peculiarities of these "epileptic syndromes" which represent a model for the study of the child's epilepsy. Though dealing with a particular problem in paediatric neurology, they point to a general process in human biology.