Fábio A Nascimento1, Zian H Tseng2, Cristian Palmiere3, Joseph J Maleszewski4, Takayuki Shiomi5, Aileen McCrillis6, Orrin Devinsky7. 1. Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States. Electronic address: Fabio.Nascimento@bcm.edu. 2. Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States. Electronic address: Zian.Tseng@ucsf.edu. 3. University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: Cristian.Palmiere@chuv.ch. 4. Division of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States. Electronic address: Maleszewski.Joseph@mayo.edu. 5. Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: Takayuki.Shiomi@nyumc.org. 6. NYU Health Sciences Library, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: Aileen.McCrillis@med.nyu.edu. 7. Department of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: OD4@nyu.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To review studies on structural pulmonary and cardiac changes in SUDEP cases as well as studies showing pulmonary or cardiac structural changes in living epilepsy patients. METHODS: We conducted electronic literature searches using the PubMed database for articles published in English, regardless of publication year, that included data on cardiac and/or pulmonary structural abnormalities in SUDEP cases or in living epilepsy patients during the postictal period. RESULTS: Fourteen postmortem studies reported pulmonary findings in SUDEP cases. Two focused mainly on assessing lung weights in SUDEP cases versus controls; no group difference was found. The other 12 reported descriptive autopsy findings. Among all SUDEP cases with available descriptive postmortem pulmonary examination, 72% had pulmonary changes, most often pulmonary edema/congestion, and, less frequently, intraalveolar hemorrhage. Eleven studies reported on cardiac pathology in SUDEP. Cardiac abnormalities were found in approximately one-fourth of cases. The most common findings were myocyte hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis of various degrees. Among living epilepsy patients, postictal pulmonary pathology was the most commonly reported pulmonary abnormality and the most common postictal cardiac abnormality was transient left ventricular dysfunction - Takotsubo or neurogenic stunned myocardium. SIGNIFICANCE: Cardiac and pulmonary pathological abnormalities are frequent among SUDEP cases, most commonly pulmonary edema/congestion and focal interstitial myocardial fibrosis. Most findings are not quantified, with subjective elements and undefined interobserver reliability, and lack of controls such as matched epilepsy patients who died from other causes. Further, studies have not systematically evaluated potential confounding factors, including postmortem interval to autopsy, paramedic resuscitation and IV fluids administration, underlying heart/lung disease, and risk factors for cardiac or pulmonary disease. Prospective studies with controls are needed to define the heart and lung changes in SUDEP and understand their potential relationship to mechanisms of death in SUDEP.
OBJECTIVE: To review studies on structural pulmonary and cardiac changes in SUDEP cases as well as studies showing pulmonary or cardiac structural changes in living epilepsypatients. METHODS: We conducted electronic literature searches using the PubMed database for articles published in English, regardless of publication year, that included data on cardiac and/or pulmonary structural abnormalities in SUDEP cases or in living epilepsypatients during the postictal period. RESULTS: Fourteen postmortem studies reported pulmonary findings in SUDEP cases. Two focused mainly on assessing lung weights in SUDEP cases versus controls; no group difference was found. The other 12 reported descriptive autopsy findings. Among all SUDEP cases with available descriptive postmortem pulmonary examination, 72% had pulmonary changes, most often pulmonary edema/congestion, and, less frequently, intraalveolar hemorrhage. Eleven studies reported on cardiac pathology in SUDEP. Cardiac abnormalities were found in approximately one-fourth of cases. The most common findings were myocyte hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis of various degrees. Among living epilepsypatients, postictal pulmonary pathology was the most commonly reported pulmonary abnormality and the most common postictal cardiac abnormality was transient left ventricular dysfunction - Takotsubo or neurogenic stunned myocardium. SIGNIFICANCE: Cardiac and pulmonary pathological abnormalities are frequent among SUDEP cases, most commonly pulmonary edema/congestion and focal interstitial myocardial fibrosis. Most findings are not quantified, with subjective elements and undefined interobserver reliability, and lack of controls such as matched epilepsypatients who died from other causes. Further, studies have not systematically evaluated potential confounding factors, including postmortem interval to autopsy, paramedic resuscitation and IV fluids administration, underlying heart/lung disease, and risk factors for cardiac or pulmonary disease. Prospective studies with controls are needed to define the heart and lung changes in SUDEP and understand their potential relationship to mechanisms of death in SUDEP.
Authors: John M Schreiber; Lowell H Frank; Barbara L Kroner; Adrian Bumbut; Moussa O Ismail; William D Gaillard Journal: Epilepsia Date: 2020-10-14 Impact factor: 5.864