Postictal Pulmonary Edema11

Postictal pulmonary edema, a well defined clinical entity, was first reported in 1908 by Shanahan (12). Although several similar reports (1, 5, 8, 10, and 13) have appeared in the literature since that time, relatively little attention has been given to this condition. This may be due both to better control of convulsions with present medication and to the infrequency with which chest roentgenograms are taken in the postictal state. The purpose of this paper is to report two new cases in the radiological literature and review the subject. Case Reports Case I. W. D. J., a 16-year-old white female, was hospitalized with complaints of severe frontal headaches. She had been well until two days previously, when she had a seizure with convulsions, unconsciousness, and urinary incontinence. History revealed frequent headaches over a period of three months, and on three occasions she had complained of nausea and vomiting without apparent cause. Two days before the seizure, she had noted some photophobia. Physical...