[Evaluation of early seizures in stroke patients]

ABSTRACT

Seizure could occur in early stroke phase, which leads to clinical deterioration of the patients. In this prospective clinical study, consecutive 1000 patients with first ischemic stroke admitted in Valie-Asr hospital, Khorasan during 2000-2003. Diagnosis of stroke and early seizure was performed by neurologist. Topography of the ischemic lesions was detected by topographic maps of cerebrovascular territories in brain CT scan. 6.1% of the patients had seizure within first week of stroke. Partial seizures with or without secondary generalization consisted 60% of these early seizures. Within middle cerebral artery territory infarctions ischemic lesions with cortical involvement were 2.43 times more preponderant to early seizures [p=0.003]. Frequency of early seizure was not significantly related to diffuse extension of the ischemic lesions within middle cerebral artery territory infarctions. Early seizure is an infrequent complication of ischemic stroke which is more frequent in infarctions with cortical involvement