Cortical Laminar Necrosis as a Result of Status Epilepticus After Resection of Parafalcal Meningioma

Status epilepticus during the post-operative period is a rare complication for neurosurgery patients. Acute encephalopathic syndromes can present a diagnostic challenge due to the wide range of possible etiologies, and can also have vastly different outcomes. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a rare neurological disorder, usually associated with specific medical conditions, that causes a disturbance of CNS homeostasis, while cortical laminar necrosis (CLN) is an unusual type of infarction characterized by selective necrosis of the cerebral cortex with sparing of the white matter. We present a 45-year-old woman who was operated on for left frontal lesion with radiological features compatible with anterior falx meningioma. Postoperative clinical and electroencephalographic data were compatible with non-convulsive status epilepticus originating from the occipito-mesial area. MRI showed bilateral diffuse temporo-occipital abnormally bright cortex as a consequence of neuronal apoptosis compatible with laminar cortical necrosis, and clinical examination revealed persistent cortical blindness. The pathogenesis of encephalopathic syndromes is still unclear. Non-convulsive status epilepticus should be considered as a possible cause of late recovery of consciousness in neurosurgery patients. Delayed treatment may cause irreversible lesions, including in brain areas far from the surgical field.