Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus With Neuropsychological Symptoms: Two Case Reports

We report two such cases. Case 1, a 62-year-old man with a history of a subcortical hemorrhage in the right lateral temporal lobe and a brain infarct in the left medial temporo-occipital lobes, suddenly developed left unilateral spatial neglect and visual object agnosia. Diffusion-weighted imaging indicated status epilepticus, not stroke. His deficits resolved immediately after treatment with diazepam and phenytoin sodium. Case 2, a 61-year-old man with a history of brain infarcts in the right lateral temporal and left medial temporo-occipital lobes, suddenly developed global aphasia and cortical deafness. An MRI revealed no new lesions, including infarcts. An EEG revealed lateralized periodic discharges in the left temporo-parieto-occipital area, and single-photon emission computed tomography revealed a transient high-uptake lesion in the left temporoparietal lobes, indicating status epilepticus. His deficits also resolved immediately after treatment with diazepam and phenytoin sodium. The two patients’ neuropsychological symptoms—visual object agnosia and cortical deafness—were associated with focal nonconvulsive status epilepticus and were successfully treated with anti-epileptic medications. It is suggested that individuals with acute neuropsychological symptoms be diagnosed with MRI and/or EEG as well as CT for differential diagnoses other than cerebrovascular diseases.
Source: Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology - Category: Neurology Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research