Exploring the Correlation of Hippocampal Alterations and Epilepsy in Sickle-cell Disease Patients: A Case Control Study
Abstract number :
1.567
Submission category :
4. Clinical Epilepsy / 4B. Clinical Diagnosis
Year :
2024
Submission ID :
1562
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/7/2024 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Norah Alkhaldi, MD – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Author: Mohammed Alismail, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Abdulrahman Aldamegh, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Abdullah Handoom, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Ahmed Alghazal, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Danah Aljaafari, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Modhi Alkhaldi, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Mohammed Alshurem, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Feras Alsulaiman, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Sarah Alameri, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Abdulrahman Alabdulwahab, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Hanadi Althani, MBBS – Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Amani AlMuqbil, MBBS – King Fahad Medical City
Rationale: Sickle-cell disease (SCD), the most prevalent hereditary blood disorder (1), predisposes individuals to various complications, including an elevated risk of epilepsy—a condition affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide. Despite the significant overlap, the relationship between SCD and epilepsy remains underexplored in the current literature. Notably, hippocampal atrophy (HA) and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) are recognized as the leading causes of epilepsy. Since the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia is among the largest areas worldwide with SCD patients, our study aims to investigate hippocampal alterations in these patients and their potential role in epilepsy development.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted, targeting patients diagnosed with SCD from 2016 to 2023 at King Fahad University Hospital. Charts of patients who visited both hematology and epilepsy clinics were reviewed.
Results: Out of 199 patients with SCD, 29 met the inclusion criteria, having undergone MRI brain with an epilepsy protocol. Two groups were compared: SCD with epilepsy (SCD w/ E) (n=11, 38%) and SCD without epilepsy (SCD w/o E) (n=18, 62%). The mean age of SCD w/ E patients was 29.55 ± 12.33 years, compared to 37.89 ± 14.80 years in SCD w/o E patients. Males were significantly more common in the SCD w/ E group than in the SCD w/o E group (81.8% versus 16.7%, p = 0.001). Regarding comorbidities, there were no significant differences in stroke occurrence between SCD w/ E and SCD w/o E patients (n=6, 54.5% versus n=7, 38.9%, respectively; p = 0.330). Hippocampal alterations were observed in 45.5% (n=5) of the SCD w/ E group compared to only 5.6% (n=1) in the SCD w/o E group. Identified alterations included HA in 27.3% (n=3) and MTS in 18.2% (n=2) of the SCD w/ E group, compared to HA in 5.45% (n=1) of the SCD w/o E group, with a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.026).
Conclusions: Epilepsy is prevalent in SCD patients, with potential etiologies extending beyond vascular insults. Our findings suggest a correlation between hippocampal alterations and epilepsy in these patients. Early, detailed hippocampal assessment in those patients is warranted. Larger studies are needed to further explore these associations.
Funding: No funding was received from any organization or institution for this research.
Clinical Epilepsy