Sequential MRI studies of a patient with complex partial status--a case report

Complex partial status (CPS), the status epilepticus of complex partial seizure, is rarely seen in clinical practice. The clinical presentations of CPS are characterized by confusion, slowness in response, together with stereotypic or complex automatisms and occasional secondary generalization. The electroencephalographic findings of CPS reveal characteristic focal epileptiform activities of mesial temporal region. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) is the imaging method of choice for studying epilepsy, particularly when focus is in the temporal lobe. We report a 49-year-old female with diagnosis of viral encephalitis and clinical presentation of CPS. We present the sequential brain MRI findings at acute, subacute and chronic stages of this patient.