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Treatment of COVID ‐19‐induced refractory status epilepticus by tocilizumab
Author(s) -
Kizilkilic Esra Kochan,
Unkun Rumeysa,
Uygunoglu Ugur,
Delil Sakir,
Ozkara Cigdem
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/ene.15440
Subject(s) - tocilizumab , status epilepticus , medicine , refractory (planetary science) , cytokine storm , cytokine release syndrome , covid-19 , epilepsy , interleukin 6 , disease , cytokine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , physics , psychiatry , astrobiology
Background and purpose COVID‐19 is a novel infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in which neurological complications have been increasingly recognized. Acute symptomatic epileptic seizures and status epilepticus are frequently reported neurological complications associated with this infection. The nervous system damage caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 may be mediated by the immune system. Interleukin 6 (IL‐6), an important component of the cytokine storm, is directly correlated with the severity of symptoms. Tocilizumab is an inhibitor of IL‐6 receptors, which blocks IL‐6‐mediated signal transduction and is used in the treatment of COVID‐19 and status epilepticus. Case report A patient with the Unverricht–Lundborg disease is presented who had developed refractory recurrent status epilepticus during COVID‐19 infection, which was finally controlled by treatment with tocilizumab. Discussion Tocilizumab, an IL‐6 inhibitor, may be considered as a treatment option in patients with status epilepticus and refractory seizures.