Purpose:Studies examining seizures (Szs) and epileptiform abnormalities (EAs) using continuous EEG in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are limited. Therefore, we aimed to describe the prevalence of Sz and EA in AIS, its impact on anti-Sz drug management, and association with discharge outcomes.Methods:The study included 132 patients with AIS who underwent continuous EEG monitoring >6 hours. Continuous EEG was reviewed for background, Sz and EA (lateralized periodic discharges [LPD], generalized periodic discharges, lateralized rhythmic delta activity, and sporadic epileptiform discharges). Relevant clinical, demographic, and imaging factors were abstracted to identify risk factors for Sz and EA. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, functional outcome at discharge (good outcome as modified Rankin scale of 0-2 and poor outcome as modified Rankin scale of 3-6) and changes to anti-Sz drugs (escalation or de-escalation).Results:The frequency of Sz was 7.6%, and EA was 37.9%. Patients with Sz or EA were more likely to have cortical involvement (84.6% vs. 67.5% P = 0.028). Among the EAs, the presence of LPD was associated with an increased risk of Sz (25.9% in LPD vs. 2.9% without LPD, P = 0.001). Overall, 21.2% patients had anti-Sz drug changes because of continuous EEG findings, 16.7% escalation and 4.5% de-escalation. The presence of EA or Sz was not associated with in-hospital mortality or discharge functional outcomes.Conclusions:Despite the high incidence of EA, the rate of Sz in AIS is relatively lower and is associated with the presence of LPDs. These continuous EEG findings resulted in anti-Sz drug changes in one-fifth of the cohort. Epileptiform abnormality and Sz did not affect mortality or discharge functional outcomes.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a recently described complication in the late phase of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection involving systemic hyperinflammation and multiorgan dysfunction. The extent of its clinical picture is actively evolving and has yet to be fully elucidated. While neurologic manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 are well-described in the adult population, reports of neurologic complications in pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. We present a pediatric patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection with development of multisystem inflammatory syndrome and acute encephalopathy causing delirium who was found to have a cytotoxic lesion of the corpus callosum on neuroimaging. Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum are a well-known, typically reversible entity that can occur in a wide range of conditions, including infection, seizure, toxins, nutritional deficiencies, and Kawasaki disease. We hypothesized that the cytotoxic lesion of the corpus callosum, in the index case, was secondary to the systemic inflammation from SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.