Ifosfamide-induced nonconvulsive status epilepticus

OBJECTIVE: To describe a patient with ifosfamide-induced nonconvulsive status epilepticus. CASE SUMMARY: A 71-year-old woman with a history of malignant mixed mesodermal tumor involving the uterus, cervix, and vagina was admitted because of local recurrence. After receiving 3 doses of ifosfamide/mesna, she was found to be unresponsive. Physical examination and laboratory data revealed no significant changes. An electroencephalogram was consistent with the diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus. The patient's mental status returned to baseline after treatment with intravenous phenytoin and discontinuation of ifosfamide therapy. DISCUSSION: Central nervous system (CNS) toxicity has been described with ifosfamide, with most cases reported in the pediatric population. Among CNS toxicities, generalized tonic-clonic seizures have been reported in both children and adults. This represents the first report of nonconvulsive status epilepticus induced by ifosfamide. CONCLUSIONS: There was a temporal relationship between the onset of nonconvulsive status epilepticus and initiation of ifosfamide infusion, No other identifiable factor contributed to the unresponsiveness.