title: [Differential diagnosis of status epilepticus].
abstract: The diagnosis of status epilepticus can be retained, wrongly, in several circumstances. Nonepileptic pseudoseizures from a psychiatric origin and some movement disorders can mimic convulsive status epilepticus. Encephalopathy of various causes (post-anoxic, metabolic, toxic, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) can be wrongly taken for non-convulsive status epilepticus, mainly due to inadequate interpretation of the electroencephalogram (EEG). In these encephalopathies, the existence of (non-epileptic) myoclonus and the abolition of the EEG abnormalities with the use of a benzodiazepine (without correction of the clinical symptoms) are additional confounding factors, leading to false diagnosis. Nevertheless, in general, the diagnosis of status epilepticus can be confirmed or rejected base on a combined analysis of the clinical data and the EEG.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'épileptologie et département de neurophysiologie clinique, bâtiment Paul-Castaigne, hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris cedex 13, France. vincent.navarro@psl.aphp.fr
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Convers
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000150:complications; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000175:diagnosis; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis; D011859:Radiography; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology