Status Epilepticus Related Takotsubo Syndrome - A Case Report

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized angiographically by transient left ventricular systolic dysfunction sparing the basal segments of the left ventricle and absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Epileptic seizures as triggering events for TTS are uncommon, having only been described in approximately 100 previous cases Case report: A 64-year-old woman with a history of recent stroke-related seizures was admitted for an acute onset of right hemiparesis with dull response. Neurological examination revealed a forced deviation of the eyeballs to the left side and quadriplegia. No large intracranial artery occlusion was disclosed through computed tomography angiography, but an acute infarction at the right corona radiata was identified through magnetic resonance imaging. Electroencephalography showed frequent spike-and-wave complexes over the right cerebral hemisphere indicating subtle status epilepticus. Her consciousness deteriorated to a stuporous state, and her eyeballs were forced deviated to the right side with persistent twitching of the right limbs 10 hours later. The convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) subsided after intravenous infusion of midazolam. However, atrial flutter with inverted T-wave and elevated high-sensitivity troponin I were observed 12 hours after CSE. Arrhythmia was soon alleviated through appropriate treatment. A further coronary angiography did not show significant coronary artery stenosis but indicated that the midsection and the apex of the left ventricle ballooned out during systole as the base contracted normally, indicating a Takotsubo syndrome.

Physicians need to monitor unusual arrhythmias, particularly atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, for the possibility of TTS in patients with epileptic seizure.