Case Reports
A fatal seizure - A large cerebral abscess in a child with uncorrected Tetralogy of Fallot: A case report
Authors:
S. Raveendran ,
Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Colombo, LK
S. Pranavan,
Teaching Hospital, Jaffna, LK
B. M. Munasinghe
District General Hospital, Mannar, LK
About B. M.
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive care
Abstract
Cerebral abscesses are relatively common among children with cyanotic heart diseases. Tetralogy of Fallot is the leading cardiac structural abnormality which leads to cerebral abscesses. Despite recent reductions in mortality largely brought forth by early diagnosis and aggressive treatment protocols including surgery and/or parenteral antibiotics, such life-threatening cerebrovascular complications are still witnessed in low-resource settings such as Sri Lanka. The resulting mortality and morbidity is potentially preventable, with high degree of suspicion, directed history and examination, guided investigations and immediate surgical or non-surgical therapy, whenever appropriate. The presentation varies but fever, behavioral changes, and focal neurological signs are common and can point towards the diagnosis. This case report discusses a 2-year-old child diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot who initially presented with fever and generalized malaise, subsequently developed seizures and succumbed following a large cerebral abscess which was diagnosed post-mortem. The sequence of events following the initial medical contact suggest the potential reversible nature of the acute outcome, reinforcing the knowledge that first responders including doctors should be aware of life-threatening presentations of diseases.
How to Cite:
Raveendran, S., Pranavan, S. and Munasinghe, B.M., 2022. A fatal seizure - A large cerebral abscess in a child with uncorrected Tetralogy of Fallot: A case report. Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science & Law, 13(1), pp.34–38. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/sljfmsl.v13i1.7879
Published on
15 Jun 2022.
Peer Reviewed
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