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Seizures in Adults and Children: Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging

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Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging

Part of the book series: Evidence-Based Imaging ((Evidence-Based Imag.))

Abstract

Neuroimaging is required for any patient presenting with seizures. In the acute setting, imaging is necessary to exclude a space-occupying or life-threatening process. The evidence regarding the type of imaging that should be performed in the acute setting is strong but dependent on the clinical presentation, risk factors, and epileptogenic triggers including provoked or unprovoked seizures and also whether the seizures occur in children or adults. Based on the evidence, an algorithm is presented to guide providers in managing patients presenting with acute seizures. Epileptic seizure refers to a paroxysmal but transient alteration of neurologic function secondary to abnormal excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is a clinical condition of recurrent, unprovoked seizures. In the emergent setting, the role of neuroimaging is to exclude life-threatening pathology. MRI is reserved for patients with symptoms suggestive of encephalitis in which CT has been negative. Children with one episode of febrile seizure do not require neuroimaging. Advanced imaging methods including PET and SPECT are rarely required in the emergent setting.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Drs. Byron Bernal, Nolan Altman, and Elysa Widjaja. This current chapter draws upon their chapters (on Seizure Disorders in Evidence-Based Neuroimaging, Evidence-Based Imaging in Pediatrics, and Evidence-Based Imaging, three volumes all published by Springer Science, edited by L.S. Medina et al. and published in 2013, 2010, and 2011, respectively) in the process of presenting thoroughly updated and significantly revised coverage of this subject for emergency imaging .

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroradiology Division, Department of Radiology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Diana M. Gomez-Hassan

  2. Department of Radiology, Division of Cardio-Thoracic Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Aine Marie Kelly

  3. Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Daniela N. Minecan

  4. Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Bruno P. Soares

Authors
  1. Diana M. Gomez-Hassan
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  2. Aine Marie Kelly
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  3. Daniela N. Minecan
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  4. Bruno P. Soares
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diana M. Gomez-Hassan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Division of Cardio-Thoracic Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Aine Kelly

  2. Department of Radiology, Division of Cardio-Thoracic Radiology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Paul Cronin

  3. Department of Diagnostic, Interventional, and Pediatric Radiology Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Stefan Puig

  4. Department of Radiology, University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Lexington, KY, USA

    Kimberly E. Applegate

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Gomez-Hassan, D.M., Kelly, A.M., Minecan, D.N., Soares, B.P. (2018). Seizures in Adults and Children: Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging. In: Kelly, A., Cronin, P., Puig, S., Applegate, K. (eds) Evidence-Based Emergency Imaging. Evidence-Based Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67066-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67066-9_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67064-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67066-9

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