Aphasic status epilepticus as the sole symptom of epilepsy: A case report and literature review

Aphasia is a common symptom encountered by neurologists. However, the presence of aphasia as the sole manifestation of partial status epilepticus is rare. The present study reports a case of aphasic status epilepticus in a 27-year-old right-handed female who presented after the abrupt onset of aphasia, which had persisted for 1.5 days. The patient's medical history included head trauma followed by a craniectomy and cranioplasty. Computed tomography scans revealed a lesion in the patient's left parietal lobe, and an electroencephalogram showed a spike and slow wave pattern in the left hemisphere of the brain during aphasia. The patient's condition improved after the oral administration of oxcarbazepine daily. In the present study it was observed that EEGs were a simple method to diagnose aphasic seizures and therefore EEG recordings should be performed in all cases of unexplained aphasia. In addition, the present study reviewed previously reported cases of aphasic status epilepticus.