Neurogenic stunned myocardium associated with status epileptics and postictal catecholamine surge

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman developed left ventricular apical ballooning, shortly after recovering from status epileptics. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels were 2.05 ng/ml and 0.48 ng/ml, respectively. Endomyocardial biopsy disclosed patchy areas of interstitial myocardial fibrosis, atrophy and vacuolization of cardiac myocytes, and some disappearance of myocyte nuclei. Follow-up echocardiography showed that the left ventricular apical ballooning was restored to normal within 25 days. These findings are compatible with neurogenic stunned myocardium. It is important to recognize that patients suffering from intractable seizures may harbor a risk of postictal catecholamine surge and catecholamine-induced myocardial dysfunction.