Abstracts

Rationale: Most patients with post-anoxic coma have a poor prognosis. Reliable prediction of poor outcomes (death or vegetative state after 1 months; death, vegetative state or severe disability after at least 6 months) at an early stage is important for both family and trating physicians. We aimed to describe a three cases who developed focal epileptic myoclonic status in anoxic -ischemic coma. Methods: This study was carried out in our Epilepsy Center. We reviewed retrospectively three patients ( two male, one female, mean age 72) with myclonic state, requiring intensive care, related to post-anoxic coma. All underwent to prolonged polygraphic video-electroenecephalography study and high quality brain MRI with and without administration of gadolinium Results: Two/ three patients had poor outcame (death). All patients had myoclonic focal status .EEG study showed myclonic jerks and burst of EEG spikes. Myoclonic jerks of the eyes, face and limbs, were associated with burst suppression in the EEG, the inducing spiking forming of the burst component. Brain MRI study showed diffuse anoxic damage . VPA e.v therapy was introduced, with control of status. Conclusions: The predicitive value of a status epilepticus is uncertain at this time. However, myoclonic status epilepticus in post-anoxic coma seems to be related to the poor outcame.