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Post–COVID‐19 inflammatory syndrome manifesting as refractory status epilepticus
Author(s) -
Carroll Elizabeth,
Neumann Henry,
AgueroRosenfeld Maria E.,
Lighter Jennifer,
Czeisler Barry M.,
Melmed Kara,
Lewis Ariane
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/epi.16683
Subject(s) - status epilepticus , medicine , covid-19 , refractory (planetary science) , atrophy , epilepsy , inflammation , pediatrics , pathology , disease , biology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , psychiatry , astrobiology , outbreak
There have been multiple descriptions of seizures during the acute infectious period in patients with COVID‐19. However, there have been no reports of status epilepticus after recovery from COVID‐19 infection. Herein, we discuss a patient with refractory status epilepticus 6 weeks after initial infection with COVID‐19. Extensive workup demonstrated elevated inflammatory markers, recurrence of a positive nasopharyngeal SARS‐CoV‐2 polymerase chain reaction, and hippocampal atrophy. Postinfectious inflammation may have triggered refractory status epilepticus in a manner similar to the multisystemic inflammatory syndrome observed in children after COVID‐19.