title: Prognostic significance of acute epilepsia partialis continua.
abstract: We present 3 patients in whom epilepsia partialis continua was the presenting sign of an acute, rapidly evolving and catastrophic neurologic illness. Initial seizures were partial simple (i.e., eye deviation in one, finger twitching in one) which progressed to multifocal partial seizures. The course of the epilepsia partialis continua was 36-41 days. Prognosis was uniformly poor (i.e., death in 2, vegetative state in 1); therefore, epilepsia partialis continua in the context of an acute neurologic illness may herald a grim outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: T Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Baram
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Snead
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis