Complex partial status epilepticus in young children

Abstract

Complex partial status epilepticus (CPSE) has rarely been described in children. We have recently studied four girls, aged 1 to 4 years, who presented with CPSE. Their seizures were characterized by decreased level of consciousness, lack of response to familiar persons, diminished response to pain, starting, slow visual tracking, eye deviation, picking at nearby objects, and lip smacking. Three patients developed focal clonic activity during their seizures and one progressed to a generalized motor seizure after 4 hours of CPSE. Two patients had ictal electroencephalograms demonstrating temporooccipital polyspikes and slow waves.

An Uncommon Presentation of Complex Partial Seizure

“…Vertigo is another uncommon feature of this disorder. A nonspecific group of 20% of cases show no structural abnormality on CT Scan [3][4][5]. Though psychiatric disturbances are sometimes attributed to temporal lobe epilepsy on quiet inadequate grounds and minor EEG abnormalities, the prompt clinical response to anticonvulsant drug further substantiates the diagnosis in the present case.…”

Presentation, Evaluation, and Treatment of Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus

“…Early reports on CPSE included very few patients. Most returned to normal or "baseline cognitive function" (10,34,61), but not all were studied thoroughly with subsequent neuropsychologic tests. In a more recent CPSE series (35), none of 20 patients had cognitive deterioration, and 5 had meticulous neuropsychologic assessment.…”

Psychological Aspects of Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in Children

“…Complex partial status is reported less often then absence status, but this may be partly the result of failure to recognize or report such cases. The majority of reports concern adult patients, but several accounts have been published of children from the age of 1 year upwards with this condition (Mayeux & Lueders, 1978;McBride, Dooling & Oppenheimer, 1981;Ballenger, King & Gallagher, 1983;Shah & Kaplan, 1980;Shalev & Amir, 1983).…”