title: Status gelasticus associated with levetiracetam as add-on treatment.
abstract: We report the case of a five-year-old girl, presenting with difficult-to-treat, symptomatic focal epilepsy, who developed status gelasticus following the introduction of levetiracetam as add-on treatment to oxcarbazepine and diazepam. Gelastic seizures were documented by video-EEG and were responsive to i.v. administration of diazepam. A possible causative role of levetiracetam is suggested. Specific susceptibility to some AEDs is also discussed, as this patient, at the age of four years, had presented an episode of non-convulsive status epilepticus, following introduction of tiagabine, in association with vigabatrin and nitrazepam.[Published with video sequences].
authors.affiliation: Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, Dept of Medical and Surgical Pediatrics, University Hospital, Messina, Italy. giusypusto@inwind.it
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pustorino
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spano
authors.forename: Domenica Lucia
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sgro
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Rosa
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tricomi
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellantone
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tortorella
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter / Q000523:psychology*; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010889:Piracetam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam