Alpha coma evolving into spindle coma in a case of acute fulminant hepatic failure: What does it signify?

• Published in: Annals of the Indian Academy of Neurology Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 69 - 71
• Main Authors: Das, Abhijit, Cherian, Ajith, Dash, G K, Radhakrishnan, Ashalatha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01-01-2010; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Alpha coma; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Coma; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; electroencephalogram; Electroencephalography; Health aspects; hepatic failure; Liver failure; Medical imaging; metabolic encephalopathy; Patient outcomes; Risk factors; spindle coma; United States; spindle coma; Alpha coma; hepatic failure; metabolic encephalopathy; electroencephalogram
• ISSN: 0972-2327; 1998-3549
• DOI: 10.4103/0972-2327.61285

A 44-year-old male developed acute fulminant hepatic failure of unknown etiology and expired within four days. His serial electroencephalograms (EEGs) showed diffuse background slowing on day one, which evolved into "alpha coma" and later into "spindle coma" over the ensuing two days. Such EEG transition is hitherto undescribed in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and gives fresh insight into the etiopathogenesis of specific EEG patterns in diffuse encephalopathy.