Epilepsia partialis continua in a patient with Behçet's disease

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2006 Jun;108(4):392-5. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2004.12.021.

Abstract

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder of unknown aetiology. Neurological involvement is characterised either by primary parenchymal lesions or secondary to major vascular involvement. Seizures are rarely seen in BD and their occurrence can be related to seizure provoking factors or exacerbation of the disease. We experienced a case of neuro-BD presenting with subacutely developing mental and behavioral changes, followed by left dominant tetraparesis with bilateral pyramidal signs, fever and left hand focal motor seizures with elementery clonic motor signs which later evolved into right hand epilepsia partialis continua (EPC) of Kojevnikov. The seizures were very resistant to antiepileptic drugs and 8 months after neurological involvement the patient died. The EPC evolving after neurological involvement is associated with high mortality rate.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Behcet Syndrome / complications*
  • Behcet Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Behcet Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsies, Partial / complications*
  • Epilepsies, Partial / diagnosis
  • Epilepsies, Partial / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Periodicity
  • Recurrence

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Methylprednisolone