Status epilepticus represents a true neurologic emergency that requires immediate treatment to stop seizure activity and prompt diagnostic evaluation to recognize potentially treatable causes. Although an etiology may be detected in many cases, in a significant number of patients the cause is not established by the usual laboratory or neuroimaging studies. We performed an extensive literature review of all unusual and often overlooked causes of status epilepticus in children, in an attempt to provide physicians with practical information on the diagnostic approach to patients, particularly those with refractory status epilepticus, for whom an etiology can not be detected by routine diagnostic protocols.
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