Hepatic encephalopathy: a rare cause of focal seizures in chronic liver disease

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is an extremely rare cause of focal seizures and is usually a diagnosis of exclusion when more commoner causes such as infection, autoimmune and malignancy have been discounted. The literature reports patients with generalised cerebral oedema and rarely status epilepticus, but these are often in the context of acute liver failure as opposed to chronic liver disease. Here we discuss a case of HE leading to focal neurological deficits and seizures in a 48-year-old woman with a background of chronic alcoholic liver disease. MRI scan showed extensive left-sided tempo-parietal-occipital cortical oedema and electroencephalogram showed widespread moderate HE with runs of epileptiform discharges. The treatment involves antiepileptic therapy as well as standard management of HE with laxatives, rifaximin and optimisation of nutrition.