Absence Status (Petit Mal Status) With Focal Characteristics

Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus following Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures

“…Geier et al [1977] described such cases. Niedermeyer et al [1979] called them 'ab sence status (petit mal status) with focal char acteristics'. However, the EEG of the compa rable case 10 of the presented series showed marked frontal slowing besides the copious spikes.…”

Behavioral Manifestations of Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus

“…The term GNSE probably encompasses several clinically distinguishable groups (17): (1) patients with a history of childhood absences, characterized by 3/second spike-waves (ASE); [2] patients with childhood-onset, secondary generalized epilepsy, often with mental retardation, and frequently with greater confusion and myoclonus (18 -20); (3) elderly patients without a history of epilepsy who present de novo, typically triggered by toxic or metabolic dysfunction, benzodiazepine withdrawal, or intake of psychotropic drugs (21) but not with a toxic-metabolic encephalopathy senso stricto (suggestive of a "situation-related" nonconvulsive generalized status epilepticus); and (4) generalized nonconvulsive status secondary to partial epileptic status of temporal or more frequently frontal lobe origin (22)(23)(24).…”

“…Since then, several hundred cases have been identified (63,64), and it is probably underrecognized (30,63). CPSE has also been described as poriomania, temporal lobe status epilepticus, prolonged epileptic fugue, psychomotor status epilepticus, and a prolonged epileptic twilight state (15,16,22,23,37,65).…”

“…These states, initially described as "borderline petit mal status" (22) or "petit mal status-like" (23) or "transitional petit mal status" (14), were summarized under the designation "frontal (non-convulsive) status" by Rohr-Le Floch et al (40). As noted by Thomas et al (25), many terms have been used since the early 1970s to describe a similar or the same condition: "absence status with focal characteristics," "prolonged cyclic epileptic seizures," "acute prolonged confusion as a frontal-onset ictal state," "nonconvulsive confusional frontal status," "CPSE of frontal origin," "acute confusional states with frontal origin" (25), and "frontal status" (14,22,23,60,(72)(73)(74)(75). "NCSE of frontal origin," Thomas observed, is a topographic description that does not necessarily denote clinical specificity or degree of impairment of consciousness.…”

Prolonged Confusion due to Absence Status Following Metrizamide Myelography

“…For example, atypical focal EEG abnormalities have been described in patients with otherwise typical absence status. 15 Furthermore, even generalized EEG abnormalities could still merely reflect secondary bilateral synchrony from a focal lesion that may be difficult to confirm. Absence status late in life is an especially varied disorder with atypi¬ cal clinical and EEG features.1011-20…”