Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: Incidence at a Spanish epilepsy unit. / Muerte súbita en epilepsia: casuística de una unidad médica de epilepsia española.

INTRODUCTION: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of death in patients with epilepsy. Most studies concerning this issue have been conducted in central and northern European countries and the United States. We conducted an epidemiologic study of SUDEP at our hospital's epilepsy unit. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all epileptic patients aged ≥14 years, regardless of epilepsy severity, who were treated at the outpatient epilepsy unit of our hospital between 2000 and 2013. The study included 2,309 patients. Deceased patients were identified using civil records. The cause of death was obtained from death certificates, autopsy reports, hospital reports, general practitioner records, and witnesses of the event. We calculated the incidence and proportional mortality of SUDEP based on our data. RESULTS: We identified 7 cases of definite SUDEP (2 patients with SUDEP plus), one case of probable SUDEP, and one case of possible SUDEP. Considering only cases of definite SUDEP, incidence was estimated at 0.44 cases per 1,000 patient-years and proportional mortality at 4.6%. Mean age of patients with definite SUDEP was 38.14 years; 4 were men and 3 were women. Most deaths occurred while patients were in bed and were therefore unwitnessed. Epilepsy in these patients was either remote symptomatic or cryptogenic. All patients but 2 had generalised seizures. None of the patients was in remission. CONCLUSIONS: SUDEP incidence and proportional mortality rates in our study are similar to those reported by population studies. This may be due to the fact that we did not select patients by severity. Risk factors for SUDEP in our sample are therefore consistent with those reported in the literature.

A novel MYH7 founder mutation causing Laing distal myopathy in Southern Spain.

MYH7 gene mutations are associated with wide clinical and genetic heterogeneity. We report a novel founder mutation in MYH7 in Southern Spain (Andalucía). We studied two index patients and 24 family members from two apparently independent families by physical examination, serum creatine-kinase, muscle MRI, sequencing studies and genetic linkage analysis. Sixteen individuals were heterozygous for a (p.R1560P) variant in the MYH7 gene. Haplotype was consistent with a common ancestor for the two families. The patients displayed the classic Laing distal myopathy phenotype, with hanging first toe as the initial presentation, even in mildly affected patients who declared themselves asymptomatic, although neck flexor weakness was revealed as an early sign in some cases. MRI showed that the sartorius was the first muscle involved, even in two out of three asymptomatic carriers. Our findings support the novel variant p.R1560P in MYH7 as a founder mutation in Andalucía. The early involvement of the sartorius muscle in MRI may be useful as an indicator of affection status.

Réplica. Ausencias y ‘pseudoausencias’ frontales / Frontal absences and ‘pseudo-absences’. Reply

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Ausencias frontales: presentación de un caso / Frontal absences: a case report

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Esclerosis lateral amiotrófica y anticuerpos anti-CV2. ¿Asociación paraneoplásica? / Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and anti-CV2 antibodies. Paraneoplastic association?

Introducción. La esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA) es una forma de enfermedad de motoneurona que afecta primariamente a las motoneuronas superior e inferior. Es de etiología desconocida, curso progresivo y a menudo fatal. Muy ocasionalmente se ha descrito su aparición como síndrome paraneoplásico (SPN). Determinados patrones clínicos de enfermedad de motoneurona sugieren esta asociación. Los anti-CV2 son un tipo de anticuerpo onconeuronal, asociado invariablemente a tumor, y descritos en distintos SPN como encefalomielitis paraneoplásica, degeneración cerebelosa y neuropatía periférica.Caso clínico. Varón de 29 años con criterios de ELA probable. Por su debut atípico (edad del paciente) se solicitó anticuerpos onconeuronales, detectándose anti-CV2+. Tras 3 años de seguimiento y búsqueda tumoral exhaustiva, con progresión de la enfermedad, no hay evidencia en la actualidad de cáncer asociado.Discusión. El estudio de la enfermedad de motoneurona/ ELA como síndrome paraneoplásico, por su rareza, ha sido motivo de revisiones al objeto de verificar dicha relación. Ante una ELA debemos descartar asociación a tumor cuando se trate de una presentación precoz (< 30 años) o tardía (>70 años), cuando asocie otros síntomas/signos neurológicos (síntomas sensitivos, ataxia, etc.), ante la presencia de anticuerpos anti-Hu u otros y/o ante la presencia de paraproteinemia y/o pleocitosis-hiperproteinorraquia en LCR. Presentamos un caso de ELA probable con anti-CV2+, sin evidencia de cáncer subyacente. Tras una búsqueda bibliográfica extensa no hemos encontrado descrita esta asociación. Tampoco tenemos conocimiento de la existencia de anticuerpos anti-CV2 fuera del contexto tumoral, por lo que pensamos que nuestro paciente, probablemente, presente una neoplasia oculta

Introduction. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a form of motor neuron disease that primarily affects upper and lower motor neurons. Its etiology is unknown, it has a progressive course and is often fatal. Very rarely, its appearance as paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) has been described. Certain clinical patterns of motor neuron disease suggest this association. The anti-CV2 are a type of onconeuronal antibody, invariably associated to tumor and described in different PNSs as paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis, cerebellar degeneration and peripheral neuropathy.Clinical case. 29 years old male with criteria of probably ALS. Due to his atypical onset (patient's age), onconeuronal antibodies were requested, detecting anti- CV2+. After three years of follow-up and exhaustive search for tumors, with progression of the disease, there is currently no evidence of associated cancer.Discussion. The study of the motor neuron/ALS disease as paraneoplastic syndrome, due to its rareness, has led to reviews in order to verify this relationship. When ALS exists, we should rule out association to tumor when the presentation is early (< 30 years) or late (> 70 years), when it is associated to other neurological symptoms/signs (sensory symptoms, ataxia, etc.), when anti-Hu antibodies or others are present and/or when there is paraproteinemia and/or pleocytosis-high protein levels in cerebral spinal fluid. We present a case of probable ALS with anti-CV2+, with no evidence of underlying cancer. After an extensive bibliographic search, we have found no description of this association. We also have no knowledge of the existence of anti-CV2 antibodies outside of the tumor context, so that we believe that our patient probably has an occult neoplasm

[Neurophysiology in status epilepticus]. / El estudio neurofisiológico en los estados epilépticos.

Cases of status epilepticus (SE) require rapid diagnosis and treatment, including simultaneous, coordinated clinical and neurophysiological assessment. The EEG is the essential diagnostic support that confirms the presence of SE and allows for its differentiation from other processes, and the characterization of type and evolutionary phase, while elucidating situations such as covert SE and nonconvulsive SE whose clinical expression is scarce and diagnosis and management difficult. Finally, EEG monitoring serves to guide treatment and recognize when crises have passed, evaluate drug response and monitor the differed evolutionary control of SE.