Unusual seizures with a benign course in a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood.
We report the unusual seizures in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The convulsive disorder began acutely as partial somatomotor status epilepticus and with diffuse EEG slowing. The seizures then became myoclonic-atonic (drop attacks) and an EEG focus appeared on the left paramedian centro-parietal areas, activated by proprioceptive stimuli. Despite the severity of the clinical picture at onset, the seizures showed a benign course, and disappeared on carbamazepine therapy. We think that this epileptic syndrome may have been caused by diffuse iatrogenic encephalopathy, probably related to intrathecal methotrexate therapy.
Del Giudice
E
E
Dipartimento di Pediatria, II Facoltà di Medicina, Università Federico II di Napoli.
Ruosi
P
P
Fiorillo
A
A
Iovine
A
A
Striano
S
S
D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D011434:Proprioception; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D002220:Carbamazepine