Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0085584 (encephalopathy)
 18,178 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Six epileptic patients are described to whom the addition of Valproic Acid (VPA) to a previously unsatisfactory antiepileptic treatment caused a toxic encephalopathy. This was characterized by alterations of the state of consciousness in all patients a few days after the beninning of the treatment with VPA. These ranged from a marked drowsiness to coma and were often associated with gastrointestinal and neurological (ataxia, asterixis) symptoms. In all cases very high blood ammonia values were found and the EEGs showed a diffuse slowing down of the activity. After the discontinuation of the drug the toxic symptoms quickly ceased and ammonia values returned to the normal values. It is hypothesized that the interference of VPA on the metabolism of ammonia could play an important role in the pathogenesis of the VPA-induced toxic encephalopathy.
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PMID:[Alterations of the state of consciousness induced by valproic acid: 6 case reports]. 643 99

The use of valproic acid (VPA) (also known as Depakote, Depakene, and others) frequently results in elevated plasma ammonia. In some people, hyperammonemia may be clinically significant, resulting in hyperammonemic encephalopathy, which may be severe. Valproic acid-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy may occur in people with normal liver function, despite normal doses and serum levels of VPA. We describe 2 cases of valproic acid-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy in patients with supratherapeutic VPA levels, although the condition has been described in people with normal VPA levels. With the increasing indications and off-label uses of VPA, family physicians should be aware of this potential complication of VPA and check ammonia levels in patients taking VPA who present with alterations in mental status. Treatment with L-carnitine may be beneficial in reducing ammonia levels.
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PMID:Valproate-associated hyperammonemic encephalopathy. 1782 70

Valproic Acid (VPA) in overdose is known to cause encephalopathy with or without cerebral odema, hyperammonaemia, hepatotoxicity, bone marrow suppression and non gap acidosis. Most of these conditions are reversible. We report a 45-year-old man who suffered permanent disability from the non reversible effects of cerebral odema and infarctions associated with Valproate overdose which would have been aggravated by Diazepam. This patient's presentation emphasizes the role of early detection and therapy of cerebral odema in Valproate and Diazepam overdose.
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PMID:Progressive encephalopathy with cerebral oedema and infarctions associated with valproate and diazepam overdose. 2134 18