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)

Selecting an appropriate anticonvulsant for treatment of recipients of orthostatic liver transplants who have new-onset epileptic seizures can be challenging because first-line agents may contribute to worsening encephalopathy, alter the plasma concentration of immunosuppressive agents, and result in hepatotoxicity. We describe the case of a 55-year-old man who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation because of end-stage liver disease due to alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis C. He required two repeat transplantation procedures. After the last procedure, epileptic seizures developed, which were initially managed with phenytoin. However, the patient remained stuporous and mental status fluctuated. Breakthrough seizures later developed in the setting of rejection. Levetiracetam (500 mg orally, twice a day) was chosen for its favorable pharmacokinetic properties as an alternative to phenytoin. By the third day of levetiracetam therapy, the patient became more responsive. At most recent follow-up, 3 months after the start of levetiracetam therapy, the patient was still treated with levetiracetam monotherapy, and seizure control was judged to be excellent.
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PMID:Levetiracetam monotherapy for liver transplant patients with seizures. 1282 99

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis is a devastating progressive degenerative disease of the nervous system presumably caused by a persistent measles virus. Patients commonly present with myoclonia or encephalopathy. There are currently no known curative therapeutic options or effective symptomatic therapy. We treated a 12-year-old boy with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis who presented with acute encephalopathy and myoclonus. Electroencephalogram showed characteristic generalized periodic discharges. Levetiracetam produced dramatic improvement in both myoclonus and encephalopathy. The improvement was clear within 4 days. The electroencephalogram pattern showed improvement as well. Levetiracetam is a promising symptomatic therapy in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis for both the myoclonus and the encephalopathy. In this patient, it also appeared to improve the electroencephalographic pattern. We suggest that the generalized periodic discharges associated with the myoclonus contributed to the patient's encephalopathy.
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PMID:Successful treatment of encephalopathy and myoclonus with levetiracetam in a case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. 1915 68

Triphasic waves are seen in the electro-encephalogram of adult patients with toxic-metabolic encephalopathies of various origins. Levetiracetam is a broad spectrum anti-epileptic drug with renal elimination and no hepatic metabolism. We describe the case of encephalopathy with triphasic waves concomitant with levetiracetam accumulation in a patient with chronic renal failure. The condition was reversible after down-titration of levetiracetam with no change of the renal function. Other causes of metabolic encephalopathy were excluded. Moreover, this patient suffered from a probable cortical myoclonus that relapsed after cessation of the drug but was well controlled by a low dosage adapted to the renal failure. In cases of metabolic encephalopathy with triphasic waves in a patient with renal failure taking levetiracetam, it is important to exclude toxic accumulation of levetiracetam among other causes.
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PMID:Levetiracetam accumulation in renal failure causing myoclonic encephalopathy with triphasic waves. 1920 20

The treatment of neonatal seizures has not changed significantly over the last 50 years despite advances in antiepileptic drug (AED) development for older children and adults. Recently new drugs have emerged some of which address age-specific challenges or mechanisms and will be discussed in this review. The loop diuretic bumetanide blocks the neuronal NKCC1 co-transporter and is thought specifically to supress seizures in the immature brain. Levetiracetam has been used in children and infants with good efficacy, an excellent safety profile, and near-ideal pharmacokinetic characteristics. Randomised controlled trials are now underway to test the efficacy of some newer AEDs for neonatal seizures. Topiramate has been shown to have neuroprotective properties in addition to its antiepileptic action and trials in babies with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy are now planned. There is an urgent need to develop age-specific AEDs for preterm and term babies. These drugs must be evaluated with multicentre, collaborative trials using innovative methods and high ethical standards to overcome age-specific challenges with the ultimate aim of improving the outcome for neonates with seizures.
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PMID:Newly emerging therapies for neonatal seizures. 2368 38

Levetiracetam is frequently used in the elderly considering its favorable pharmacological profile, efficacy, and good tolerance. We reported an encephalopathy with levetiracetam in an elderly subject who had no renal failure, no concomitant valproate medication, and no other additional co-morbidities. Levetiracetam should be discontinued when this condition is suspected.
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PMID:Encephalopathy induced by levetiracetam in an elderly woman. 2374 Jun 41

We report the case of an aborted awake craniotomy for a left frontotemporoinsular glioma due to ammonia encephalopathy on a patient taking Levetiracetam, valproic acid and clobazam. This awake mapping surgery was scheduled as a second-stage procedure following partial resection eight days earlier under general anesthesia. We planned to perform the surgery with local anesthesia and sedation with remifentanil and propofol. After removal of the bone flap all sedation was stopped and we noticed slow mentation and excessive drowsiness prompting us to stop and control the airway and proceed with general anesthesia. There were no post-operative complications but the patient continued to exhibit bradypsychia and hand tremor. His ammonia level was found to be elevated and was treated with an infusion of l-carnitine after discontinuation of the valproic acid with vast improvement. Ammonia encephalopathy should be considered in patients treated with valproic acid and mental status changes who require an awake craniotomy with patient collaboration.
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PMID:Ammonia encephalopathy and awake craniotomy for brain language mapping: cause of failed awake craniotomy. 2547 98

The Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) is a childhood epileptic encephalopathy. Incidence: 1/1.000.000/year, prevalence: 15/100.000. LGS covers 5-10% of epileptic patients and 1-2% of childhood epilepsies. Also referred to as cryptogenic or symptomatic generalized epilepsy. LGS is characterized by: multiple seizures (atypical absences, axial tonic seizures and sudden atonic or myoclonic falls), diffuse slow cryptic EEG waves when awake (<3 Hz), fast rhythmic peaks (10 Hz) during sleep, mental retardation and personality disorders. The LGS is not responding to treatment. Some new drugs have proven to be effective in controlling the disease (Felbamate, Lamotrigine, Topiramate, Levetiracetam). The mortality rate is about 5%; only rarely death is due to epilepsy, which is usually caused by stroke or epileptic episodes. Here we describe the case of a 45-year-old female patient with LGS, severe hypokalemia, mental retardation and focal seizures. Normal renal function: creatinine 0.9 mg/dl, urea 26 mg/dl, creatinine clearance 96 ml/min, serum potassium levels to the minimum: 3.5 mEq/L. This level of potassium, however, had been achieved with the assumption of 8 oral tablets/day of potassium chloride. Osmotic diuresis, use of diuretics, Bartter, Gitelman (normal urinary calcium and magnesium) and pseudo-Bartter syndromes were all excluded whereas aldosteronism was found. Our findings lead to hypokalemia related to assumption of topiramate and hyperaldosteronism. Reduction in drug intake was not effective due to the increased seizures, so the drug was maintained, along with potassium supplementation. In conclusion, the patient has been diagnosed with hypokalemia and iatrogenic hyperaldosteronism, rare in our outpatient practice.
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PMID:[Hypokalemia in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome]. 2609 33

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is rare and the diagnosis is often delayed. It usually presents with abdominal symptoms, behavioural changes, seizures, tachycardia, and hypertension. MRI findings are usually normal or few contrast enhancing lesions may be present. Rarely , reversible vasogenic edema is seen on MRI as T2 weighted and FLAIR hyper intensity without diffusion restriction suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Review of literature suggests that there are only few case reports of AIP associated with PRES. Because diffusion-weighted MRI is normal, the lesions are likely caused by reversible vasogenic edema and transient breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Treatment of porphyria consists of a high carbohydrate diet supplemented with the use of intravenous glucose and haematin infusions during acute attacks. Management of seizures with commonly used anti-epileptics including phenytoin, valproic acid, carbamazepine and barbiturates can worsen symptoms or precipitate acute attacks because of their enzyme inducing activity. Levetiracetam is the preferred choice these cases. Porphyria is an important differential diagnosis in patients with unexplained abdominal pain along with neuro-psychiatric manifestations. This case report adds to a handful of cases worldwide associating AIP with radiological findings of PRES.
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PMID:Porphyria: An Uncommon Cause of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome. 3164 73