[Epileptogenic complications of neurosurgical interventions]

Epileptogenic complications after supratentorial intracranial surgery are, strictly defined, the events which promote a further complication, i.e. seizures in any form, partial, simple or complex, or generalized. The most common epileptogenic complications are, therefore, electrolyte imbalance, hypoxia, hypoglycemia, hypocapnia, and intracerebral or extradural hematoma. However, also inadequate anticonvulsant prophylaxis and use of convulsant drugs can yield to the onset of post-operative seizures. Anesthetic drugs have been each time defined pro or anti-convulsant: however, data from the literature show that it is not possible to certainly define the role of general anesthetics in the genesis of post-operative seizures.