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61st Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC) as part of the Neurowoche 2010
Joint Meeting with the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery on the 20 September 2010

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

21 - 25 September 2010, Mannheim

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Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), a postoperative complication after craniotomy for supratentorial tumors

Meeting Abstract

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  • Marise Diessars - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Klinikum Kassel, Germany
  • Wolfgang Deinsberger - Neurochirurgische Klinik, Klinikum Kassel, Germany
  • Michael Hartwich - Interdisziplinäre Intensivstation Neurologie/Neurochirurgie, Klinikum Kassel, Germany
  • Christian Roth - Interdisziplinäre Intensivstation Neurologie/Neurochirurgie, Klinikum Kassel, Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 61. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) im Rahmen der Neurowoche 2010. Mannheim, 21.-25.09.2010. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2010. DocP1749

doi: 10.3205/10dgnc220, urn:nbn:de:0183-10dgnc2207

Published: September 16, 2010

© 2010 Diessars et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective: Nonconvulsive Status epilepticus (NCSE) has been described as a devastating complication in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage as well as in patients with subdural hematomas. In the present study we assessed the incidence and clinical sequelae of NCSE in patients, who underwent a craniotomy due to a supratentorial tumor.

Methods: In a prospective study, done 2007 and 2008, EEGs were recorded postoperatively in all patients with impaired consciousness or neurological deterioration after exclusion of other causes for postoperative coma.

Results: 304 craniotomies were performed in 285 patients with supratentorial tumors. Eight of these patients were suspected to have NCSE. Three (1,05%) of them showed continuous epileptiform discharges in the EEG without clinical signs of seizure activity. All eight patients received anticonvulsant therapy. Two patients died during the hospital stay, two showed a GOS of 2 and four patients a GOS of 3 at discharge.

Conclusions: NCSE is a rare complication after craniotomy for supratentorial tumors. NSCE is associated with extended hospitalization, extended artificial respiration and poor outcome. EEG monitoring should be performed routinely in all cases of otherwise unexplainable postoperative coma.