Epilepsy Caused by Tumors or Malformations of Blood Vessels
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder. It is a seizure disorder characterised by unpredictable seizures or episodes of uncontrolled, involuntary and abnormal movements of body parts over time. A person is diagnosed with this disorder if they present with two unprovoked seizures or one unprovoked seizure with the likelihood that more would occur. Most people present with more than one type of a seizure and other neurological problems. EEG testing, clinical history, family history are similar amongst a group of people. Their condition is defined as an epilepsy syndrome.
Patients with a brain tumor often suffer from seizures that may represent the onset of a symptom or may appear during the course of the disease. It might be a sign of brain metastases due to a tumor in other organs.
Repeated complex partial seizures can cause a non-convulsive epileptic state that may result in confusional state, automatisms or behavioural changes.
It is challenging to choose epileptic drugs for this type of epilepsy majorly because it is drug resistant and has a strong impact on quality of life. Hence, doctors prescribe a customized treatment plan for every patient.
The plan would generally cover
- Medical therapies (pharmacological, surgical, radiological, etc)
- Concurrent use of antiepileptic drugs and chemotherapy drugs
- Emotional and psychological support plans