Fatal liver failure following generalized tonic-clonic seizures

We present three cases of fatal hepatic necrosis in patients with epilepsy taking anticonvulsants, in which the terminal illness presented as an unusually severe generalized tonic-clonic seizure with failure to regain consciousness. In two cases acute renal failure also occurred. It is not certain to what extent drug therapy, physiological and metabolic changes consequent on prolonged seizures, hitherto undiscovered infective agents, or a combination of any of these may play in such a process. We suggest, however, that the case against the drugs alone has yet to be proved.