[Efficacy of anticonvulsants on acute encephalitis with refractory, repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS)]

The first purpose of this study is to propose a new clinical entity, acute encephalitis with refractory, repetitive partial seizures (AERRPS), which satisfy the following five criteria: 1. a prolonged acute phase of more than 2 weeks; 2. partial seizures of the same seminology persisting from the acute phase to the convalescence; 3. seizures frequently evolving into convulsive status especially during the acute phase; 4. marked intractableness of seizures; 5. exclusion of related disorders such as known viral encephalitis or metabolic disorders. The second purpose is to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic agents on AERRPS. We reviewed 21 cases reported previously, as well as one patient seen by us. Based on the data, we recommend that patients with AERRPS should be under a high dose intravenous barbiturate during the acute phase, followed by a high dose of phenobarbital or phenytoin in the convalescence. Clonazepam, zonisamide, and potassium bromide were sometimes effective during the recovery phase.