Convulsive status epilepticus revealing cerebral microbleeds in a pediatric patient: A rare case report

Abstract

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are small, round, or ovoid hypointense lesions observed on susceptibility-sensitive MRI sequences, such as T2*-weighted gradient-echo and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). This case report presents a 10-year-old male with refractory convulsive status epilepticus, characterized by persistent seizures, agitation, and myoclonus. The patient had no prior hospitalizations or neuroimaging studies. Despite initial benzodiazepine treatment, the seizures persisted. After 10 days of intensive care, including valproate therapy and ventilatory support, the patient showed significant clinical improvement and was extubated. CMBs were identified on SWI sequence. Their association with status epilepticus may offer insights into cerebrovascular changes in critically ill pediatric patients. This case highlights the association between status epilepticus and microbleeds in pediatric patients.