Levetiracetam in Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in Childhood: A Case Report

Abstract

The authors report the case of a child with cerebral palsy and refractory epilepsy who developed nonconvulsive status epilepticus without acute medical cause treated successfully with levetiracetam. In accordance with other studies whose authors hypothesized that aggressive treatment may worsen the prognosis in elderly patients with nonconvulsive status epilepticus, the present authors successfully used a more conservative approach to the treatment of nonconvulsive status epilepticus in their patient. This case suggests that levetiracetam is a useful option for the treatment of nonconvulsive status epilepticus in childhood, in accordance with some authors who have described the anticonvulsant effects of levetiracetam in experimental status epilepticus and in status epilepticus in adults and in children with continuous spike waves during slow sleep.