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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 May 17.
Published in final edited form as: Epilepsia. 2014 Nov 10;55(12):2059–2068. doi: 10.1111/epi.12852

Table 3. Details of patients for which the early suspected etiology using the SEEIT was incorrect.

Pt Age Gender Previous
seizures
Etiology generated
using the SEEIT
Final etiology Case description Explanation
1 54 F No Cryptogenic Brain glioma Small temporal glioma was missed in the
 CT performed in ED, but seen on MRI
 later. Of note, because seizures were
 focal, the tool advised an MRI
Etiology missed on CT
2 76 M No Cryptogenic/
 encephalitis?
Brain glioma Because of new-onset refractory epilepsy
 with normal CT and normal CSF analysis,
 SEEIT evoked a cryptogenic SE or
 encephalitis in early phase/autoimmune
 process. The later MRI revealed a glioma
Etiology missed on CT
3 40 F Yes Drug related
 (ciprofloxacin)
Known epilepsy
 without
 provocative
 factors
Patient with known epilepsy experienced
 SE in the context of ciprofloxacin
 prescribed for UTI without systemic
 involvement. The discharge summary
 did not retain ciprofloxacin as
 provocative factor
Disagreement on
 causality judgment of
 minor precipitants
4 57 F No Meningoencephalitis
 (infectious)
Carcinomatous
 leptomeningitis
SE after lumbar surgery for vertebral
 metastasis (breast cancer). CSF
 showed a pleocytosis (115 whitecells/
 mm3). Infectious meningitis was
 proposed by the SEEIT. Further CSF
 analysis revealed metastatic cells
CSF data
 misinterpreted
5 21 F No Meningoencephalitis
 (infectious)
NMDA
 encephalitis
Presented with refractory SE and
 mild CSF pleocytosis. Possible CNS
 infectious was retained using the
 SEEIT. Further analysis didnot
 find any infectious agent and revealed
 NMDA antibodies
Failure to identify
 a complex disease in
 the emergency
 setting
6 72 M No Remote ischemic
 stroke
Lymphomatous
 meningitis
Known for Waldenstrom disease. Initial
 imaging showed an old previously
 asymptomatic stroke retained as
 responsible using the SEEIT. LP done
 because of unexpected evolution revealed
 lymphomatous meningitis
Remote brain
 pathology
 incorrectly retained
7 19 F Yes Known epilepsy
 without
 provocative
 factors
Cryptogenic History revealed a couple febrile seizures
 during childhood and no other
 explanation. Because of the long time
 before recurrence of seizure, she was not
 considered as having epilepsy before the
 SE episode and thus considered as
 cryptogenic
Disagreement on
 causality judgment
 of minor
 precipitants
8 71 F No Drug related
 (clozapine)
Posterior
 reversible
 encephalopathy
 syndrome
 (PRES)
In the context of severe anxiety for 3 days,
 clozapine was prescribed and increased.
 Then the patient presented with altered
 mental status and visual hallucinations.
 Focal SE was diagnosed after EEG. Initial
 imaging was nonconclusive. The etiology
 retained using the SEEIT was related to
 the clozapine. Later MRI revealed a PRES
Etiology missed on CT
9 67 F No Meningoencephalitis
 (infectious)
Cryptogenic Refractory SE and fever at the presentation.
 Despite a mild pleocytosis, the CSF remained
 sterile. The pleocytosis was attributed to
 seizures
CSF data
 misinterpreted
10 75 M No Cryptogenic HSV-1
 encephalitis
Because of fever and new onset SE, the
 SEEIT suggested a CSF analysis, which was
 normal (four white cells). Later, PCR came
 back positive for HSV-1. LP was
 performed early (ca. 36 h after onset), so
 the SEEIT warned against “false” normal
 CSF in early phase of an encephalitis
CSF data
 misinterpreted
11 46 F Yes Sepsis Possible posterior
 reversible
 encephalopathy
 syndrome
 (PRES)
SE in the context of sepsis (pulmonary
 origin) and known epilepsy. So, using the
 SEEIT, sepsis was considered as a
 provocative factor. Later MRI was
 consistent with a PRES. However, it was
 not excluded for certain that the MRI
 changes were due to seizures
Etiology missed on CT
12 40 F Yes Sepsis Known epilepsy
 without
 provocative
 factors
SE in the context of fever, systemic
 inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
 and known epilepsy. So, using the SEEIT,
 sepsis was considered as a provocative
 factor. The complete evaluation did not
 find any infectious source. The SIRS was
 attributed to the SE itself
SIRS incorrectly
 suspected
13 54 F No Acute ischemic
 stroke
Brain abscess due
 to Bacillus cereus
 endocarditis
Patient known for acute myeloid leukemia.
 Initial CT showed a probable new
 ischemic stroke. Subsequent MRI revealed
 an abscess. Endocarditis was subsequently
 found
Etiology missed on CT
14 60 M No Cryptogenic Alcohol
 withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal was denied during
 initial assessment
Incomplete history
 information
15 79 M No Dementia Chronic
 lymphocytic
 leukemia with
 CNS infiltration
Known for advanced dementia and chronic
 lymphocytic leukemia. Initial imaging was
 nonconclusive. MRI was performed 4 days
 later and showed focal lesions likely due
 to infiltrative lymphoma
Remote brain
 pathology incorrectly
 retained
16 69 F No Toxic-metabolic
 (in the context of
 a known CNS B
 lymphoma)
Microangiopathic
 hemolytic
 anemia
Initial laboratory testing showed renal and
 liver impairments of unknown origin. The
 extensive evaluation revealed a
 microangiopathic hemolytic anemia
Failure to identify a
 complex disease in
 the emergency
 setting
17 71 M No Meningoencephalitis
 (infectious)
Diffuse large
 B-cell
 lymphoma with
 CNS
 infiltration
Presented with SE preceded by
 rapid cognitive decline. CSF showed
 pleocytosis (728 white cells/mm3). CNS
 infection was suspected. Extensive
 evaluation did not find any etiology.
 A malignant edema leaded to
 herniation. Autopsy showed
 a diffuse CNS infiltration by
 large B-cell lymphoma
CSF data
 misinterpreted
18 36 M No Brain lesion of
 unclear origin
Cerebral
 toxoplasmosis
Known for HIV. The evaluation in the
 emergency department identified a newly
 diagnosed mass without clear precision.
 The complete evaluation revealed a
 cerebral toxoplasmosis
Failure to identify a
 complex disease in
 the emergency
 setting
19 76 M No Cryptogenic Remote
 subarachnoid
 hemorrhage
The previous history of subarachnoid
 hemorrhage was unknown at initial
 presentation
Incomplete history
 information
20 68 F No Toxic-metabolic Acute ischemic
 stroke
Presented with several mild metabolic
 disturbances and the initial CT was
 considered as normal. Subsequent MRI
 advised by the SEEIT because of focality in
 the clinical manifestation, revealed an
 acute stroke
Etiology missed on CT
21 83 F No Cryptogenic Acute ischemic
 stroke
Initial imaging was considered as normal.
 Subsequent MRI advised by the SEEIT
 because of focality in the clinical
 manifestation, revealed an acute ischemic stroke
Etiology missed on CT
22 79 F No Drugs intoxication Dementia Patient had mild increase in antipsychotic
 treatment in setting of dementia and very
 mild hypernatremia. However, the
 features identified by the SEEIT were not
 considered as sufficient to provoke SE
Disagreement on
 causality judgment of
 minor precipitants
23 49 F Yes Known epilepsy
 without
 provocative
 factors
ASD related Patient known for epilepsy treated with
 LEV, VPA, and LCM. There was no
 evidence of nonadherence in initial
 evaluation. Later, low level of VPA level
 became available and pointed out
 nonadherence
Incomplete history
 information
24 27 F No CNS infection Cryptogenic
 (NORSE)
Presented with flu-like symptoms a week
 before entering a prolonged refractory
 nonconvulsive SE in coma. The CSF in
 early phase showed a mild lymphocytosis
 (15 white bloodcells/mm3). Despite a very
 broad evaluation including wide infectious
 and autoimmune panels, no etiology was
 found. She left the hospital 74 days later
 with significant cognitive problems
CSF data
 misinterpreted

CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; CT, computed tomography; ED, emergency department; F, female; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; HSV, herpes simplex virus; LCM, lacosamide; LEV, levetiracetam; LP, lumbar puncture; M, male; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; NMDA, N-methyl-d-aspartate; NORSE, new onset refractory status epilepticus; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; SE, status epilepticus; SEEIT, Status Epilepticus Etiology Identification Tool; UTI, urinary tract infection; VPA, valproic acid; WC, white cells.