Rapidly Progressive Cognitive Disturbances Due to Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus Associated with a Cerebral Microbleed: Clinical Application of FDG-PET

Abstract

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) usually produce no symptoms. We encountered a patient who developed cognitive decline and psychotic symptoms associated with nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), with presumptive epileptogenic focus possibly caused by a CMB. A 70-year-old man developed progressive cognitive disturbances including disorientation and hallucinations two months after a mild head injury. He was admitted to our hospital three months after the trauma, because of progression of symptoms. The first positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) demonstrated intense FDG uptake in the left occipitoparietal region, in which a CMB was detected by T2∗-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Electroencephalography showed continuous slow waves in the left occipital and parietal areas. After anticonvulsive therapy, his symptoms completely disappeared, accompanied by change in FDG uptake. Our case suggests that CMBs may be an epileptogenic focus of NCSE, and that FDG-PET is useful for the diagnosis of NCSE and assessment of therapeutic efficacy.