title: Late onset ictal asystole in refractory epilepsy.
abstract: Ictal asystole is a cardiac phenomenon associated with epileptic seizures, and may play a role in sudden unexplained death in epilepsy. We present a 17-year-old boy with chronic intractable epilepsy and a vagus nerve stimulator who developed ictal asystole many years after the onset of epilepsy. The asystole was not linked to the vagus nerve stimulator, and ultimately necessitated the placement of a cardiac pacemaker. A cardiac pacemaker and vagus nerve stimulator can be safely used simultaneously after careful testing during placement. The onset of asystolic events many years after the onset of epilepsy suggests that repeated seizures may exert long-term effects on cardiac function.
authors: Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10467, USA. jbeal@montefiore.org
authors: Jules C
authors: JC
authors: Beal
authors: Yoshimi
authors: Y
authors: Sogawa
authors: Scott R
authors: SR
authors: Ceresnak
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Mahgerefteh
authors: Solomon L
authors: SL
authors: Moshé
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D055536:Vagus Nerve Stimulation