Epileptic Status in Early Post-operative Period in Patients with Diffuse Brain Gliomas

Study objective. To develop knowledge of the epileptic status (ES) in early post-op period in patients with diffuse brain gliomas.

Design. Single-centre retrospective study.

Materials and methods. The study group included 280 patients with diffuse brain gliomas: 156 males (55.71%) and 124 females (44.29%). The average age of subjects was 45.81 ± 15.90 years.

To identify the diffuse glioma sub-type, 118 patients underwent an examination of frequent mutations of genes IDH1 (exon 4) and IDH2 (exon 4) in tumour tissue using a high-resolution analysis of PCR product melting profile and sequencing.

Results. ES in early post-op period developed in 3.57% of cases (n = 10) and manifested predominantly with motor symptoms (paroxysmal, myoclonic, focal motor symptoms).

Epilepsy diagnosed before surgery was not a risk factor of ES in early post-op period. Awake surgeries, aiming at determination of the functionally significant (verbal, motor) areas of the brain, as well as the use of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (direct cortex stimulation during surgery) did not increase the rate of ESs. It has been demonstrated that ES in patients with diffuse brain gliomas can develop after a longer surgery (p = 0.0129) or longer anaesthesia (p = 0.0251). The association between ES in early post-op period and cerebral complications has been reported: in patients with complications, the rate of ESs was 17.07% vs. 1.26% (p < 0.00001). in patients without complications.

The rate of early ESs did not drop with preventive antiepilepsy drugs prescribed to patients with diffuse brain gliomas without pre-op epilepsy, as well as with prolonged sedation with propofol and artificial lung ventilation.

Conclusion. ES in early post-op period requires separate diagnostic and treatment algorithms. 

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