Epilepsy [Paperback]

Patients with epilpesy pose many clinical challenges. Even experienced clinicians occasionally arrive at the point where diagnostic, work-up, treatment, or prognostic thinking becomes blocked.

Epilepsyis the fifth volume in the What Do I Do Now? series and provides the clinician with the necessary tools to evaluate and treat an epilepsy patient. Applying a case-based approach of curbside consultation, the authors present 31 actual cases, providing key points to remember and recommendations for further reading at the end of each case and including EEGs and imaging where applicable. Concise and readable,Epilepsyis the perfect quick-reference guide for anyone working with epilepsy patients.

Section 1: Diagnostic Questions

1. Febrile seizures and first seizures in infants, Daniel Friedman
Febrile seizures are common and are often benign with little risk of subsequent epilepsy. However, febrile seizures with complex features may increase the risk of epilepsy later in life or may be the heralding seizure of a severe infantile epilepsy syndrome.

2. Idiopathic Partial Epilepsies (IPE) of childhood, Derek J. Chong
Benign rolandic epilepsy, or BECTS, and the benign occipital epilepsies have specific clinical features and electrographic findings that set them apart from other types of epilepsy. The diagnosis of these conditions is important as they impart a high chance of spontaneous and complete remission.

3. Nonconvulsive status epilepticus in hospitalized patients, Daniel Friedman
Seizures without overt convulsive activity are common in critically ill and acute brain injury patients. Often the only manifestation is altered mental status and EEG monitoring is required for the diagnosis. Treatment is aimed at controlling seizures to limit secondary neuronal injury while minimizing the adverse effects of therapy.

4. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, Carl W. Bazil
About 25% of patients wlF