Status epilepticus or what?

This case report describes a man who had two grand mal seizures, each one followed by a lengthy period of unconsciousness during which he was extremely restless, with violent uncoordinated movements. This was probably a form of status epilepticus conforming to a diagnosis of grand mal seizure, followed by a complex partial seizure, but was similar to what has been described as post epileptic mania or delirium. A brief historical perspective is included together with a resumé of the differential diagnosis of adult onset epilepsy.