Epilepsy in women with gynecologic malignancies

Women with gynecologic malignancies are a population with various risk factors for epilepsy. Gynecologic malignancies can substantially affect daily life, even if the tumor is well controlled. Gynecologic malignancies may cause brain metastasis, paraneoplastic neurological disorders, or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, which potentially directly cause seizures and epilepsy. Moreover, metabolic disorders, central nervous system infections, cerebrovascular complications, and chemotherapeutic drugs can indirectly induce ictus. Radiotherapy of brain metastases can also lead to seizure and epilepsy. Understanding these pathogenic mechanisms may provide novel viewpoints or methods for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of epilepsy associated with gynecologic malignancies. In this article, we extensively review the related literature regarding potential aetiologies, their mechanisms, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment.