High end-of-life incidence of seizures and status epilepticus in patients with primary and secondary brain tumors

  • Purpose: Seizures pose a significant burden in patients with primary and secondary brain tumors during the end-of-life period. A wide range of 6 to 56% of clinically observed epileptic seizures at the end of life has been reported. We aimed to analyse the incidence of epileptic seizures at the end of life in brain tumor patients more accurately using not only clinical but also electrophysiological findings. Methods: This retrospective, single center study included brain tumor patients who died during the stay on the ward or within 7 days after discharge between 01/2015 and 08/2020. Clinical observation of seizures derived from the original medical records and EEG findings (within 45 days prior to death) were analyzed to determine the incidence of seizures in that period. Results: Of the 68 eligible patients, 50 patients (73.5%) suffered from seizures within 45 days prior to death, of which n = 24 had a status epilepticus. The diagnosis of seizures/ status epilepticus was determined either by the presentation of clinical signs in 45 patients and if not, by the detection of a (possible) non-convulsive status epilepticus in the EEG of five patients. Conclusion: In the presence of neurologically trained staff and with the frequent use of routine EEG, we were able to identify seizures and to distinguish status epilepticus from encephalopathy/ hypoactive delirium. We detected a higher incidence of seizures and status epilepticus at the end of life in neurooncological patients than previously reported.

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Metadaten
Author:Sophie von BrauchitschGND, Adam StrzelczykORCiDGND, Felix RosenowORCiDGND, Elisabeth NeuhausORCiD, Daniel DubinskiORCiDGND, Joachim Peter SteinbachORCiDGND, Martin VoßORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-841391
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-022-04133-1
ISSN:1573-7373
Parent Title (English):Journal of neuro-oncology
Publisher:Springer Science + Business Media B.V
Place of publication:Dordrecht [u.a.]
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2022/11/03
Date of first Publication:2022/11/03
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2024/06/07
Volume:160
Issue:2
Page Number:8
First Page:277
Last Page:284
HeBIS-PPN:520873157
Institutes:Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International