Sudden cardiac arrest in a patient with epilepsy induced by chronic inflammation on the cerebral surface★

The present study analyzed a patient with epilepsy due to chronic inflammation on the cerebral surface underwent sudden cardiac arrest. Paradoxical brain discharge, which occurred prior to epileptic seizures, induced a sudden cardiac arrest. However, when the focal brain pressure was relieved, cardiac arrest disappeared. A 27-year-old male patient underwent pre-surgical video-electroencephalogram monitoring for 160 hours. During monitoring, secondary tonic-clonic seizures occurred five times. A burst of paradoxical brain discharges occurred at 2–19 seconds (mean 8 seconds) prior to epileptic seizures. After 2–3 seconds, sudden cardiac arrest occurred and lasted for 12–22 seconds (average 16 seconds). The heart rate subsequently returned to a normal rate. Results revealed arachnoid pachymenia and adhesions, as well as mucus on the focal cerebral surface, combined with poor circulation and increased pressure. Intracranial electrodes were placed using surgical methods. Following removal of the arachnoid adhesions and mucus on the local cerebral surface, paradoxical brain discharge and epileptic seizures occurred three times, but sudden cardiac arrest was not recorded during 150-hour monitoring. Post-surgical histological examination indicated meningitis. Experimental findings suggested that paradoxical brain discharge led to cardiac arrest instead of epileptic seizures; the insult was associated with chronic inflammation on the cerebral surface, which subsequently led to hypertension and poor blood circulation in focal cerebral areas.