We experienced a rare clinical manifestation of a digoxin induced catatonic stupor without other features of digoxin toxicity. This case suggests that the neurological manifestation of digoxin toxicity can occur without the usual side effects. Also, a serum digoxin level should be checked in any elderly patient presenting with abnormal cerebral func-tions, irrespective of whether or not the dose of digoxin has been changed. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):438~439, 2001)
Aged ; Digoxin ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Stupor*

Acute encephalopathy with thalamotegmental involvement is characterized by the rapid evolution of stupor and coma, associated with generalized seizures and decorticate or decerebrate rigidity without focal neurologic or meningeal irritation signs. The magnetic resonance findings in a 6-year-old patient with neurologic abnormalities demonstrate bilateral symmetrical high signal intensity lesions involving both the thalami and the tectum in axial T2-weighted image. We report a case of acute encephalopathy with thalamotegmental involvement.
Child ; Coma ; Decerebrate State ; Humans ; Seizures ; Stupor

Cefepime is a widely used beta-lactam antibiotic. We first report two cases of cefepime-induced reversible encephalpathy in Korea. Two patients with renal impairment presented stupor while being treated with cefepime for pneumonia, one of whom also developed myoclonus and asterixis. Their electroencephalogram showed triphasic waves despite of normal liver function. After discontinuation of cefepime, they completely recovered with normalization of electroencephalogram. Early recognition of cefepime-induced encephalopathy and immediate withdrawal of cefepime would be important for the prognosis of the patients.
Cephalosporins ; Dyskinesias ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Myoclonus ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Stupor

Lethal catatonia is a life-threatening febrile neuropsychiatric syndrome, mainly consist of bizzare behavior, mounting fever, extreme hyperactivity, stuporous exhaustion and evenlual death. Although the entity has been reported in the literaure for over 160 years, the rarity of the illness makes prompt recognition being very difficult tasks, particularly in young children. We experienced a typical case of lethal catatonia in 7-year-old boy who previously had no organic illness. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was the most successful mode of treatment among many therapies attempted. We feel that this could be the youngest case in the literature of lethal catatonia.
Catatonia* ; Child* ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Fever ; Humans ; Male ; Stupor

Targeted therapy has been proven to be one of the most effective cancer treatments. However, some endocrine disorders can occur during treatment with targeted agents. We report the case of a patient who exhibited a wax and wane pattern of hypoglycemia that was attributed to sorafenib therapy. A 32-year-old woman with metastatic hemangiopericytoma visited the emergency department in a stuporous state. Nonhyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was diagnosed, was exacerbated shortly after sorafenib therapy, and was improved by the cessation of sorafenib with additional glucocorticoid therapy. Patients with metastatic hemangiopericytoma should be carefully monitored with particular attention to hypoglycemia when sorafenib therapy is initiated.
Adult ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hemangiopericytoma* ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia* ; Stupor

We studied the contents of referral sheets of the patients transferred to DMC Emergency Center from Jan 1, 1999 to Jan 31, 1999. The study far the completion and chief complaints in the referral sheets shows the followings. 1. Examining the referral sheets status of disease, name and age record of 5 major items grade 0.92, the highest point, examining item and laboratorial record grade 0.72, dignosis record grades 0.38, and patients condition and diagnosis opinion record grade 0.10. 2, Name and age item had high completion score in referral sheets from local clinic and hospital for secondary referral level. For address item, however, local clinic scored 0.63 and hospital for secondary referral level scored 0.28, which showed statistically significant difference(P<0.001). 3. In the aspect of severity, name and age record leveled 0.94 to the non emergency patient, 0.92 to the emergency patient, 0.91 urgent patient, showed and no statistic significant difference. 4. The major 10 symptoms of the complaints were these the pain of abdomen and pelvis(25.2%), somnolence and stupor, coma(13.6%), headache(10.9%), and open wound of head(4.0%), ranked 10th common symptom level.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Referral and Consultation* ; Stupor ; Wounds and Injuries

A 67-year-old female presented with stuporous mentality. She ingested a bowel-preparation agent and 4 L of water in preparation for a colonoscopy the day before presentation, and subsequently developed severe diarrhea and vomiting. Laboratory tests demonstrated hyponatremia (120 mEq/L). Her EEG exhibited continuous spike- or polyspike-and-wave discharges on the left frontal area. We diagnosed complex partial status epilepticus caused by hyponatremia in this patient. Her mental status and EEG recovered completely after administration of an anticonvulsant and correction of hyponatremia.
Aged ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Status Epilepticus ; Stupor ; Vomiting ; Water

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can be considered in the differential diagnosis of hemolytic anemia with a concomitant cerebral infarction. We report a 79-year-old woman who was stuporous at presentation, and ultimately diagnosed with AIHA and cerebral infarction. Microembolic signals (MES) were detected by transcranial Doppler monitoring on the first hospitalization day. MES disappeared on the sixth hospitalization day following treatment with steroid and anticoagulation. This case represents a rare arterial ischemic complication of AIHA possibly associated with a hypercoagulable state.
Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Stroke* ; Stupor ; Thrombophilia

Seizure following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is extremely rare. We report that generalized seizure occurred in a patient with radiating right leg pain after PELD under sevoflurane anesthesia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was detected from a dura tear in the operative field. On emergence from anesthesia, generalized tonic-clonic activity continued for approximately 2 minutes and the level of consciousness was decreased to a stuporous state. Under sedation, a pneumocephalus which was thought to be caused by the dura tear was evaluated with a brain computed tomography (CT) and a continuous slow wave was found on electroencephalography (EEG) without any epileptiform discharges. Eight hours postoperatively, the decreased level of consciousness recovered, and after 2 weeks, the patient was discharged without any neurologic sequealae. Clinicians should recognize the epileptogenic potential of sevoflurane and limit the maximum dose with avoidance of hypocapnia by hyperventilation. If an intracerebral lesion is accompanied, it may increase the possibility of the occurrence of seizure.
Anesthesia ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Diskectomy ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Hypocapnia ; Leg ; Methyl Ethers ; Pneumocephalus ; Seizures ; Stupor

Dysphagia is common and serious problem in intracerebral hemorrhage patients. Nasogastric-tube intubation is an important method for dysphagic patients who have an intracerebral hemorrhage. But many discomforts develope in patients with a nasogastric-tube. Therefore, it is necessary to decide when to remove the tube and as early as possible. The purpose of this study is to decide the applying time of training program to facilitate deglution for dysphagic patients who have intracerebral hemorrhage. Among the 343 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who had been admitted to P-university hospital from April, 1994 to December, 1998, the medical record of the 110 patients with nasogastric tube were reviewed retrospectively. Results from the study were as follows: 1. Nasogastric tube insert duration of improved patients was a mean of 23.2 days 2. When a L-tube was inserted and removed, the L.O.C. of improved patients was 2.6+/-0.8(in the midst of stupor or a semicoma), 1.9+/-0.5(close to drowsy), respectively. This was signifcantly different(P=0.000). 3. When a L-tube was inserted and removed, GCS of improved patients was 9.3+/-2.9, 12.1+/-2.2 respectively. This was significantly different (P=0.000). 4. The duration of nasogastric tube insertion was the longest when in a stupor(L.O.C), 6~8 points(GCS).
Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Education* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Stupor