title: Diabetic ketoacidosis with cerebral hemorrhage and alpha coma in an adolescent female.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most common and harmful complications of type 1 diabetes in children. The neurologic morbidities, including seizure activity, motor/sensory deficit, and coma, can be seen secondary to cerebral edema, hemorrhage, or ischemia. Alpha-frequency is a normal 8-13 Hz physiologic electroencephalogram rhythm that is seen most prominently in the occipital region of awake people and is augmented by eye closure. In the comatose patient, alpha-rhythm is not usually seen. Alpha-frequency coma (AC) is a rare finding in comatose patients and is generally associated with a poor prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report an adolescent with severe DKA, intraparenchymal cerebral hemorrhage, and AC, who had a rapid resolution of the neurologic symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar to other reported cases, our case suggests that the prognosis for patients with AC may not be always poor when it is associated with DKA.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrinology and Diabetes, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19134, USA.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shoar
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yorns
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezvani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003128:Coma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction