title: Absence status in the elderly as a late complication of idiopathic generalized epilepsies.
abstract: The main categories of nonconvulsive status epilepticus are: complex partial and absence status. Absence status was reported to occur de novo in later life as a situation-related, single event. We report four cases of absence status with presentation after the age of 60 years. At admission, no history of epilepsy had been mentioned. The preliminary diagnosis of absence status occurring de novo in later life had to be changed on completion of case histories. All patients had suffered from idiopathic generalized epilepsy with absence seizures, which had resolved after puberty. A second peak of IGE, with repeated episodes of absence status after the menopause and without identifiable triggering factors is assumed.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital for Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria. gerhard.bauer@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dobesberger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benke
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walser
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trinka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants