When the first seizure can be the last: ventricular fibrillation following a new-onset seizure

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality. Its mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Post-ictal arrhythmias rather than ictal arrhythmias appear to be associated with an increased risk of SUDEP. Only a handful of individuals with epilepsy who have survived ventricular arrhythmias post seizure (near-SUDEP) are reported in the literature. We report a case of ventricular fibrillation following a first-ever unprovoked seizure in a patient without epilepsy, in whom a sinus rhythm was restored following cardioversion. A defibrillator was subsequently implanted. Our case suggests that even first seizures might account for some of the many cases of unexplained ventricular fibrillation or sudden cardiac death.