Detection of regional blood perfusion changes in epileptic seizures with dynamic brain perfusion CT--a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Perfusion CT (P-CT) is used for acute stroke management, not, however, for evaluating epilepsy. To test the hypothesis that P-CT may identify patients with increased regional cerebral blood flow during subtle status epilepticus (SSE), we compared P-CT in SSE to different postictal conditions.


METHODS
Fifteen patients (mean age 47 years, range 21-74) underwent P-CT immediately after evaluation in our emergency room. Asymmetry indices between affected and unaffected hemispheres were calculated for regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and mean transit time (MTT). Regional perfusion changes were compared to EEG findings.


RESULTS
Three patients in subtle status epilepticus (group 1) had increased regional perfusion with electro-clinical correlate. Six patients showed postictal slowing on EEG corresponding to an area of regional hypoperfusion (group 2). CT and EEG were normal in six patients with a first epileptic seizure (group 3). Cluster analysis of asymmetry indices separated SSE from the other two groups in all three parameters, while rCBF helped to distinguish between chronic focal epilepsies and single events.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary results indicate that P-CT may help to identify patients with SSE during emergency workup. This technique provides important information to neurologists or emergency physicians in the difficult clinical differential diagnosis of altered mental status due to subtle status epilepticus.
Wiest
Roland
R
Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University of Berne, 3010 Berne, Switzerland.
von Bredow
Ferdinand
F
Schindler
Kaspar
K
Schauble
Barbara
B
Slotboom
Johannes
J
Brekenfeld
Caspar
C
Remonda
Luca
L
Schroth
Gerhard
G
Ozdoba
Christoph
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*