Background: Regarding the complications of chronic intractable epilepsy, the presence of respectable lesions in many these patients that can be diagnosed with noninvasive sensitive techniques such as MRI and SPECT and the unrecognized significance of epilepsy surgery in our country, we have decided to review the management of medically intractable epilepsy in patients, who underwent epilepsy surgery in neurosurgery department of Loghman Hakim hospital between 1997-2003.
Materials and Methods: In this study we retrospectively review 30 cases of medically intractable epilepsy that had underwent epilepsy surgery. All patients before surgery were investigated with brain MRI, brain SPECT, EEG and IQ test. Type of surgery was determined by MRI, SPECT and EEG findings. Pre - and postoperative seizure frequency and surgery complications studied. Seizure control was measured with Engel criteria.
Results: Patients mean age was 22.4 years. Three cases (10%) were females that all underwent temporal mesial lobectomy. In 18 cases (60%) there were concordant brain lesion with seizure origin that 9 cases (30%) underwent mesial temporal lobectomy and remainder 9 cases (30%) underwent lesionectomy.other12 cases (40%) that have uncertain brain lesion but suffer from drop attack due to one or combination of atonic, tonic, tonic clonic, clonic, myoclonic, absence or clonic underwent anterior callosotomy. patients that underwent mesial temporal lobectomy, anterior callosotomy and lesionectomy were seizure-free in 77.7%, 58.3% and 55.5% of cases respectively.
Conclusions: Provided to correct patient selection for epilepsy surgery we can manage intractable epilepsy properly. Regarding to the complication of intractable epilepsy, acceptable epilepsy surgery results and available sensitive noninvasive diagnostic techniques such as MRI in our country, epilepsy surgery should be considered seriously in our country and promoted.
Background: Approximately 5-10% of epileptic patients do not respond to antiepileptic drugs. Adenosine has an inhibitory effect on the nervous system and its metabolism is prevented as a side effect of allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. The current study evaluates the efficacy of allopurinol in intractable epilepsy.
Methods: In this double-blind case-control clinical trial, of the 38 epileptics with intractable seizures, 18 received 300 mg allopurinol daily and 20 received a placebo as adjuvant treatment to their previous antiepileptic drugs. The patients were first examined two weeks after initiation of the treatment and then monthly for a total of six months, during which they were evaluated for seizure control and possible side effects.
Result: Of the 38 participants, 32 patients completed the study. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of reduction in the total number of seizures over the entire six-month trial. A seizure reduction of 30% observed in 66% of the patients, 50% in 55%, and 60% in 44% of the cases in the allopurinol group was achieved after two months and persisted throughout the study. Furthermore, a significant difference in seizure duration was found between the two groups in month four of the trial. In the allopurinol group, two patients had transient rashes, two patients had mild nausea, and two experienced dizziness however, only one patient discontinued the drug due to dizziness. In the placebo group, one patient had rash and one had nausea. In addition, no significant hematological or hepatic changes were found during the trial in either group.
Conclusions: The results suggest that allopurinol is a safe and effective adjuvant agent in refractory epilepsy. Based on this study, we suggest that purine metabolic pathways and the specific use of allopurinol should be further investigated for the treatment of refractory epilepsy.
Background: Ekiri syndrome or lethal toxic encephalopathy is a complication of shigellosis with dysentery, hyperpyrexia, seizures, headache and altered level of consiousness, which rapidly progresses to death. These children die at the beginning of the disease (8-48 hours from the beginning of symptoms), from brain edema. However they had no symptoms or signs of sepsis, dehydration, DIC or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).
Methods: This survey is a case series study of children with Ekiri syndrome in Bahrami hospital from October 1998-2008 presented with loss of consciousness, colitis and high fever shortly after admission. Information about the patients was gathered from the documents according to physical signs and symptoms, lab data of those whom Ekiri syndrome had been diagnosed for them. Studied variables in this assessment were age, sex, fever, convulsions and loss of consciousness. Headache, encephalopathy, dehydration, elevated ICP, colitis, underline disease, stool, blood and CSF cultures.
Results: The subjects contain 13 cases (10 male, 3 female), averaged 30/5 months of age. All had seizure, elevated ICP, encephalopathy and coma. All of the patients had fever between 39 and 40, averaged 39.5 degree of centigrade. Seven patients had headache and three ones was dehydrated. The first presentation symptom in three patients was gastroenteritis, in 9 was siezure and in 1 patient was headache. Stool culture in all patients was positive, but blood culture was positive in only one of them. CSF culture was negative in all of the patients. Mortality was 100%.
Conclusion: Symptoms, signs and presentation of Ekiri syndrome, a rare complication of infection with shigella, in the patients in Bahrami hospital was similar with the other studies beforehand in other countries. In this study, all the patients were died and supportive treatments were ineffective.
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Background: Sleep and sleep deprivation plays a major role in EEG abnormalities and also
idiopathic and symptomatic seizures. The aims of this study were to compare
baseline EEG findings with waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation in patients with sleep seizure.
Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 33 patients with sleep seizure attending the Neurology Clinic of Sina Hospital
in Tehran, Iran, during year 2009 were enrolled. After a baseline EEG, patients were asked to remain awake for 24 hours before taking a waking
and a sleep EEG. Finally, the baseline EEGs were compared with findings from waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation.
Results : From 33 patients with sleep seizure, sixteen (48.5%) patients were female and seventeen (51.5%) were male. Patients aged from 7 to 49 years and the mean age of the participants was 26.83 (SD=10.69) years. Twenty patients
had no family histories of seizure contrary to 13 patients with a positive history for the disease. There was statistically significant differences between the baseline
and waking EEGs after sleep deprivation (P=0.042) as there was between baseline and sleep EEGs (P=0.041). Moreover, there was
significant differences between waking and sleep EEGs after sleep deprivation (P=0.048).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated the effects of sleep deprivation on EEG
findings in patients with sleep seizure. In patients with sleep seizure, waking
and sleep EEGs could be better demonstrated
after sleep deprivation than routine waking EEGs. According
to the results of this study, waking EEGs taken
after a period of sleep deprivation is superior to sleep EEGs
after the deprivation.
Background: It is demonstrated that morphine and tramadol affects seizure but the mode of action of these drugs on seizure has not been compared yet with increasing of age. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of exposure to these drugs on Pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure in immature rat.
Methods: Male neonate rats were randomly chosen and divided into three groups namely Saline (n=21), Morphine (n=12) and Tramadol (n=13). On postnatal days 8-14, Saline group received normal saline and two other groups received morphine and tramadol with additive doses, respectively. On postnatal days 22-28, the saline treated rats divided into three subgroups and received saline (n=8), morphine (n=8) or tramadol (n=5). Morphine treated rats received saline or morphine (each n=6), and tramadol treated rats received saline (n=7) or tramadol (n=6). At postnatal day 29, they were evaluated for PTZ-induced seizure.
Results: Number of tonic-clonic seizure was increased in all groups compared with control and tramadol+saline groups (P<0.05). Duration of tonic-clonic seizure was decreased in tramadol+saline group compared with other tramadol groups (P<0.05). Latency of tonic-clonic seizurewas decreased in tramadol+saline group compared with control rats (P<0.05), But it was increased in saline+tramadol group compared with other groups except to saline group (P<0.05). Latency of myoclonic contractions in saline+morphine and saline+tramadol groups was lower than in control rats (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Similar age-related changes may occur inchronic exposure to morphine and tramadol in the neonatal period which leads to an increase in severity of seizures in rats on postnatal days 22-28. The effect of morphine and tramadol does not show any significant difference.
Background: Convulsion is one of the common cause of hospital admission in children. Idiopathic seizure is when no anatomic, electrolytic, metabolic or hemorrhagic causes are found. Recently, lead poisoning, which is considered when serum lead levels are higher than the normal levels (previously 10 &mug/dl changed to 5 &mug/dl). Even lower levels of lead inflict harmful consequences in central nervous system (CNS) development in pediatric group. Due to air pollution and high lead level in air of Tehran, investigation the probable role of lead in producing or predisposing convulsion in children is very important. To determine the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lead level in children with idiopathic convulsion in compare with nonconvulsive ones (control). Methods: A case-control study upon 60 children (30 convulsive and 30 nonconvulsive control) admitted in Rasoul Akram and Ali Asghar University Hospitals, Tehran, from 2012 to 2013 had done. One ml of CSF obtained and lead level determined by atomic absorption test. Results: The mean age between cases and controls was not different (mean= 30.18+27.36 vs 25.46±20.56 months, P= 0.1). The CSF lead level (&mug/dl) had not meaningful difference between 2 groups (3.43+3.07 vs 2.78+2.77, P= 0.3), and no related to type of convulsion in cases (P= 0.7), the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.588 1-0.433, P= 0.2). The CSF lead cutoff was 1.65 &mug/dl sensitivity of 70%, specificity of 46%, PPV and NPV was 56% and 60% respectively. Conclusion: The toxic blood level for lead is 3.5 &mug/dl. The CSF lead level even in little amount (1.65 &mug/dl) is an acceptable sensitivity but lower specificity for differentiation the convulsive from nonconvulsive children. Although the role of genetic and other causes should be considered in idiopathic convulsion, probably, the high level of lead in CSF could predispose those children to convulsion. It can effect CNS development in children even in small amounts. Indeed, long-term effects of lead which continue to adulthood should be considered as well. Hence, it is paramount to rectify the ambient air lead pollution in Tehran.
Background: Tramadol is a synthetic drug which is prescribed in moderate and severe pain. Tramadol overdose can induce severe complications such as consciousness impairment and convulsions. This study was done to determine the convulsions incidence after tramadol use until one week after hospital discharge. Methods: This prospective study was done in tramadol overdose patients without uncontrolled epilepsy and head injury history. All cases admitted in Loghman and Rasol Akram Hospitals, Tehran, Iran from 1, April 2011 to 1, April 2012 were included and observed for at least 12 hours. Time interval between tramadol intake and first seizure were record. Then, patients with second drug-induced seizure were recognized and log time between the first and second seizure was analyzed. The patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) if clinical worsening status observed. One week after hospital discharge, telephone follow-up was conducted. Results: A total of 150 patients with a history of tramadol induced seizures (141 men, 9 women, age: 23.23±5.94 years) were enrolled in this study. Convulsion was seen in 104 patients (69.3%). In 8 out of 104 patients (7.6%) two or more convulsion was seen. Time interval between tramadol use and the onset of the first and second seizure were 0.93±0.17 and 2.5±0.75 hours, respectively. Tramadol induced seizures are more likely to occur in males and patients with a history of drug abuse. Finally, one hundred forty nine patients (99.3%) were discharged with good condition and the only one patient died from tramadol overdose. Conclusion: The results of the study showed tramadol induced seizure most frequently occurred within the first 4 hours of tramadol intake. The chance of experiencing a second seizure exists in the susceptible population. Thus, 4 hours after drug intake is the best time for patients to be hospital discharged.
Background: Herpes encephalitis is the most common cause of fatal encephalitis in the world which often presents with sudden fever, headache, seizure, focal neurologic symptoms, and consciousness loss. The aim of this study was to report a case of maternal death caused by herpes encephalitis which appropriate antibiotic therapy delayed because of early diagnosis of eclampsia.
Case Presentation: A 16-year-old pregnant woman at 36th weeks of gestation was referred to gynecology emergency department of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2016. She was admitted due to 4 times of generalized tonic-clonic seizures and blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg with diagnosis of eclampsia. Cesarean section was performed for fetal distress and eclampsia remote from delivery. 6 hours after cesarean section because of higher than 39 °C and reduction in consciousness status, she was transferred to intensive care unit (ICU). The first brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal. Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed and brain MRI was repeated that increased signal was observed in two sides of basal ganglia. Intravenous acyclovir was administered by possible diagnosis of viral meningoencephalitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was positive in terms of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Unfortunately, the patient died 35 days after hospitalization by diagnosis of HSV-1 encephalitis and bilateral infarction with frequent seizures and clinical manifestation of septic shock refractory to treatment.
Conclusion: Although the first diagnosis for generalized convulsion during pregnancy is eclampsia, but in case of recurrent and specially atypical seizures and low consciousness level, other diagnosis like meningoencephalitis, brain lesions and cavernous sinus thrombosis (CVT) must be considered and ruled out.
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Four hundred and eighty subjects in three groups (two cases and one control groups), were included in this study. These comprised as patients with afebrile convulsion (n: 160), patients with seizures associated with fever (n: 160), and the control group (patients who have been hospitalized for any reason other than seizure (n: 160)). Those with severe cerebral palsy, acute meningitis, prolonged loss of consciousness, severe disturbances of electrolytes and those who were taking drugs that affect the QT interval were excluded. Once admitted with a primary diagnosis of seizure, a 12 leads superficial ECG was performed.
Results: In the group of patients with febrile convulsion, 123 children were Low probability Long QT syndrome, 33 cases were Intermediate and 4 were high probability Long QT syndrome. Probability of Long QT syndrome in children with afebrile seizures showed that 112 children were in Low probability Long QT syndrome, 42 children in Intermediate and 6 children in High probability Long QT syndrome group. Comparison of Probability of Long QT syndrome among the three evaluated groups showed that children with afebrile seizure (48 children) and subsequently children with febrile seizure (37 children) were more in Intermediate and High categories than others. Only 11 children in the control group were in the Intermediate and High groups. Chi-square test results showed a significant difference with P<0.001. Conclusion: The results of this study show that in patients who present with seizure as the initial symptom, it is always mandatory to account Long QT syndrome into differential diagnosis. Doing a simple electrocardiogram makes it easy to distinguish two issues and prevent sudden death. |
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Conclusion: This study showed that hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the most common cause of neonatal seizures. Considering that in this study, a significant percentage (54.3%) of the neonates had abnormal brain MRI, this finding indicates the importance of performing this radiological procedure in the diagnosis, prognosis, and duration of treatment in neonatal seizures.
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Results: The mean age of the study population was 21.4 14 months. 34.7% of the study population were girls and 65.3% were boys. In this study, 10.7% of the cases and 8% of the controls had IDA. Although the prevalence of IDA was higher in the FS group, this difference was not significant (P=0.58). Also, HB and MCV were not significantly different in the two groups (P=0.49, P=0.69). In addition, the mean serum ferritin level in the FS group with anemia and the FS group with anemia did not show a statistically significant difference (P=0.94).
Conclusion: According to the result of this study, IDA is not a risk factor for seizures in febrile children. |
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Results: Twenty-seven eligible patients were included. 18 patients were male and 9 were female. Sixteen patients had seizures and 90% of them were categorized as generalized tonic-clonic seizures. 21 patients had eating dystonia (71 percent were male and 29 percent were female) and 18 patients had complex motor and vocal tics, 11 patients presented extra ocular movement disorders, and 11 patients had evidence of tongue and lip biting. The absence of the deep tendon reflex was detected in 23 patients. Considering all the patients' movement disorders, the prevalence of eating dystonia was significantly higher in men than in women. (P=0.049). Other abnormal movements were not different between men and female. All patients had caudate atrophy and increased signal intensity in T2/Flair sequences in caudate nuclei and putamen in the brain imaging.
Conclusion: The most common abnormal movement after chorea was eating dystonia. The male gender was more susceptible to present eating dystonia than the female. However, this superiority was not seen in other movement disorders. |
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Results: 56 children with a diagnosis of convulsive fever with a mean age of 21.4±14 months were evaluated. 37.5% (21 individuals) of the study population were females and 62.5% (53 individuals) were males. Among them, 33 individuals had low-grade fever and 23 individuals had high-grade fever. In 10.7%, the number of WBCs was more than 5. The amount of protein obtained was in the normal range, between 20 and 50 mg/dl, in 57.1% of cases. However, a significant percentage (39.3%) of CSF liquid protein was below 20 mg/dl. CSF fluid glucose levels were within the normal range at 91.1%.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, febrile seizures may be associated with low protein levels in the CSF. However, due to the limited sample size in our study, similar studies with higher sample sizes are recommended. |
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