Nonepileptic seizures following general anesthetics: a report of five cases.
Five patients who developed seizures following a general anesthetic are described. It is not possible to determine retrospectively whether or not the initial attacks were definitely epileptic, but these patients all subsequently received a diagnosis of psychological nonepileptic convulsions/seizures (also known as pseudoseizures, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, and nonepileptic attack disorder) established by video/EEG telemetry or ictal EEG recordings. In two cases there was evidence of concurrent epilepsy. We suggest that nonepileptic seizures may develop following postanesthetic seizures and that a psychogenic basis for seizures occurring after general anesthetics needs to be considered.
Lichter
Ida
I
Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK. idalichter@aol.com
Goldstein
Laura H
LH
Toone
Brian K
BK
Mellers
John D C
JD
D000328:Adult; D018681:Anesthetics, General / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods
D018681:Anesthetics, General