title: Refractory status epilepticus during pregnancy secondary to cavernous angioma.
abstract: First-time seizure and status epilepticus during pregnancy have been previously reported as the initial manifestation of intracranial cavernous hemangioma. We report a woman with no history of seizures who presented with refractory status epilepticus at 10 weeks gestation. Cranial MRI revealed a right frontal cavernous hemangioma. The seizures remained refractory to conventional anticonvulsant medications and 48 h of general anesthetic. Termination of the pregnancy resulted in almost immediate resolution of the seizures. The dramatic response of the seizures to termination of the pregnancy suggests that hormonal factors were primarily responsible for the precipitous presentation in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aladdin
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin