Non-convulsive status epilepticus as a cause of delayed emergence after a thoracic surgery: a case report

Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is an electrical discharge which occurs without prominent motor symptoms. NCSE is one of the causes of delayed emergence from anesthesia; however, as far as we know, previous reports of postoperative NCSE were related to patients after neurological surgery. Herein, we report a case of an elderly male who developed initial NCSE after thoracic surgery. The patient remained unresponsive and developed hemiplegia after lung resection, and then the symptoms fluctuated between better and worse. Metabolic disorders and stroke were ruled out, and NCSE was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). NCSE occurred in a patient who had no predisposing factors or underwent non-neurological surgery. When anesthesiologists encounter delayed emergence, NCSE should be listed as a differential diagnosis and examined by MRI and EEG.