A Case of Abdominal Epilepsia Partialis Continua Occurring One Year after Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Epilepsia partialis continua is characterized by continuous clonic contractions of a certain area of the body. One of the most common causes of Epilepsia partialis continua in adults is cerebrovascular events. Other causes include meningoencephalitis, Rasmussen encephalitis, diabetic nonketotic hyperosmolar coma, central nervous system malignancies, tuberculosis, cerebral venous thrombosis, or idiopathic. A 70-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with abdominal muscle contractions for about an hour. Neurodiagnostic imaging revealed an encephalomalasia area secondary to the area of the previous infarction in the left frontoparietal region. Focal motor findings were controlled within 5 min after the VPA (valproic acid) treatment at a dose of 15 mg/kg admission, and then the treatment was continued with 1500 mg/day Valproic acid. Here, we aimed to emphasize that myoclonic jerks confined to the abdominal region is a rare motor phenomenon and may be a feature of Epilepsia partialis continua, the history of stroke should be questioned in the etiology, and seizures can be controlled with IV Valproic acid treatment.

Keywords

• epilepsia partialis continua
• partial epilepsy
• focal motor
• valproic acid