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Post‐ictal fever: a rare symptom of partial seizures
Author(s) -
Rossetti A. O.,
Tosi C.,
Despland P.A.,
Staedler C.
Publication year - 2007
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/j.1468-1331.2007.01724.x
Subject(s) - ictal , medicine , status epilepticus , epilepsy , electroencephalography , partial seizures , high fever , anesthesia , pediatrics , neuroscience , psychiatry , psychology
Although fever may induce seizures, especially in children, its occurrence following epileptic spells has been rarely described, except from generalized convulsive status epilepticus. We present two patients suffering from focal seizures accompanied by episodes of post‐ictal fever, and review similar reports in the literature of the last 40 years. Temperature changes following non‐convulsive seizures might be induced by gene upregulation occurring in the hypothalamus, the nucleus tractus solitarius, or in other brain regions, producing a local inflammatory response. Direct propagation of electrical discharges seems less consistent with the timing of development of this symptom. Heterogeneity of reported clinical features argues against the assumption of a definite localizing or lateralizing value for post‐ictal fever.