Table 1. List of diagnostic categories and their frequencies as definitive SE etiology.
| Underlying etiology after complete workup (n = 212) | n | % |
|---|---|---|
| Total, n = 212 | ||
| ASD-related (nonadherence, recent change or low levels) | 34 | 16.04 |
| Brain tumor without acute change (no change or increase in tumor load) |
28 | 13.21 |
| Acute hemorrhagic cerebrovascular event | 21 | 9.91 |
| Known epilepsy (non structural) without provocative factors (breakthrough seizures) |
16 | 7.55 |
| Remote ischemic cerebrovascular event | 14 | 6.6 |
| Unclassifieda | 13 | 6.13 |
| CNS infection (meningitis or encephalitis) | 12 | 5.66 |
| Unknown origin | 11 | 5.19 |
| Toxic-metabolic | 10 | 4.72 |
| Systemic infection/sepsis | 10 | 4.72 |
| Remote hemorrhagic cerebrovascular event | 8 | 3.77 |
| Acute TBI | 7 | 3.3 |
| Acute ischemic cerebrovascular event | 5 | 2.36 |
| Remote TBI | 6 | 2.83 |
| Alcohol related (withdrawal or intoxication) | 6 | 2.83 |
| Brain tumor with acute change (bleeding, recent biopsy/surgery or rapid increase in edema) |
5 | 2.36 |
| Benzodiazepine withdrawal | 4 | 1.89 |
| Neurodegenerative disease | 2 | 0.94 |
| Other drugs known to reduce seizure threshold | 0 | 0 |
ASD, antiseizure drug; CNS, central nervous system; TBI, traumatic brain injury.
a
Unclassified includes: three multiple sclerosis, two confirmed and one possible posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), two tumoral meningitis, one NMDA encephalitis, one neurosarcoidosis, one eclampsia, one arteriovenous malformation without bleeding, and one case of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.