TITLE:
Anticonvulsants for Preventing Seizures in Patients with Chronic Subdural Haematoma: Pilot Study
AUTHORS:
Mohamed Adel Ghoneim, Waleed Abbass
KEYWORDS:
Chronic Subdural Hematoma, Seizure, Prophylaxis
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Neurosurgery,
Vol.10 No.2,
March
17,
2020
ABSTRACT: Introduction: There is increasing of the incidence of chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH), due to increase of the elderly population with increase of intake oral anticoagulation and antiplatelet drugs in this category of patients. Seizures occur as a complication in 2.3% to 20.4% of the patients. There is a considerable side effect associated with using of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Aim of the Study: To rule the value of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs in prevention of seizures after surgical evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma. Methods: A prospective controlled non-randomized study was performed on 26 patients with chronic or subacute subdural hematoma that was surgically evacuated through burr-holes from April 2017 to June 2019. We divided the patients into 2 groups: group A patients received prophylactic antiepileptic drugs for 6 month and group B patients didn’t receive prophylactic antiepileptic drugs and the 2 groups were observed to detect occurrence of post-operative seizures for 6-month follow-up after surgery. Medical history, demographic data and imaging characteristics were recorded. Results: Seizure prevalence for all patients during hospitalization and 6-month follow-up was zero among the 13 patients who received prophylactic anti-seizure medications, and was 1 (7.7%) among the 13 patients who didn’t receive prophylactic anti-seizure medications. Conclusions: The incidence of post-operative seizures in patients with chronic subdural hematoma operated upon by burr holes evacuation is low. The administration of prophylactic antiepileptic drugs decreases the incidence of seizures after evacuation of CSDH, but the difference was not significant. So prophylactic antiepileptic drugs should not be routinely given for all patients with CSDH operated upon by burr hole evacuation unless there is risk factor for seizure development.