It is available in various pharmaceutical formulations, suitable for both oral and parenteral administration.
Phenytoin can be included in the composition of medicinal products both individually, as the only active ingredient, and in combination with other active ingredients useful for the treatment of epilepsy (generally, these are barbiturates). The decision to use a type of medicine rather than a another is up to the doctor who will assess the needs of each patient.
From the chemical point of view, phenytoin is to be considered as a derivative of "hydantoin," another molecule capable of carrying out antiepileptic activities. Not surprisingly, phenytoin is also known as diphenyl-hydantoin. The IUPAC name of phenytoin is 5,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2,4-dione.
