Objective To study the TCM pattern distribution and formula characteristics of epilepsy. Methods The articles on clinical research and personal experience in treating epilepsy with traditional Chinese medicine and integrative medicine from January 1977 to July 2013 were searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure（ CNKI）. The frequency analysis and cluster analysis was used to analyze the patterns

formulas and medicines. Results Totally 127 articles were included. There were 37 patterns

and the common patterns were wind-phlegm obstruction

liver wind stirring internally

phlegm-stasis obstructing the network vessels

phlegm-fire harassing the spirit

phlegm clouding the heart spirit

and liver-kidney yin deficiency. The 37 patterns were related to 11 pathogenesis factors such as wind excess

fire-heat

phlegm congealing

blood stasis

qi stagnation

water-damp

fright pattern

yin deficiency

qi deficiency

blood deficiency

and yang deficiency

and 5 organs such as liver

kidney

heart

spleen

and stomach. The frequent 108 symptoms of epilepsy can be clustered into five patterns such as pattern of qi deficiency blood stasis

phlegm-stasis obstructing the network vessels and extreme heat engendering wind

pattern of heart-spleen deficiency

pattern of phlegm-qi obstructing and clouding the heart spirit

pattern of qi-yin deficiency and liquid depletion with heat bind

and pattern of phlegm clouding the heart spirit. There were 308 formulas and 69 set formulas could be grouped into 14 categories. The commonly used formulas were phlegm-expelling formula

supplementing formula

harmonizing resolution formula

blood-rectifying formula

heat-clearing formula

and windcontrolling formula. There were 251 medicines included

which could be grouped into 20 categories such as supplementing medicinal

liver-calming wind-extinguishing medicinal

phlegm-transforming cough-suppressing pantingcalming medicinal

blood-quickening stasis-transforming medicinal

spirit-quieting medicinal

qi-rectifying medicinal

and heat-clearing medicinal. The frequent 48 medicines could be clustered into 6 categories such as medicinal of spleen-fortifying qi-boosting

qi-moving

phlegm-transforming and spirit-quieting

medicinal of heat-clearing firedraining

qi-rectifying

phlegm-transforming and yin-nourishing liquid-engendering

medicinal of blood-quickening stasis-transforming

liver-coursing

qi-moving and fright-stabilizing spirit-quieting

medicinal of heat-clearing phlegmtransforming

heavy settling spirit-quieting and qi-moving blood-quickening

medicinal of liver-calming yang-subduing and wind-extinguishing tetany-relieving

and medicinal of qi-moving phlegm-transforming and orifices-opening spiritarousing. Conclusion The common patterns of epilepsy are wind-phlegm obstruction

liver wind stirring internally

phlegm-stasis obstructing the network vessels

phlegm-fire harassing the spirit

phlegm clouding the heart spirit

and liver-kidney yin deficiency. The commonly used formulas are heat-clearing phlegm-transforming

wind-dispelling tetany-relieving

qi-rectifying blood-quickening and spirit-quieting

especially the supplementing formula.