Abstract

Objective: The abstract presents 7 striking cases who presented with the complaint of seizures showing concomitance of B12 vitamin deficiency.

Material and Methods: Participant patients were those who presented at our hospital with seizures caused by B12 vitamin deficiency. Evaluation was based on clinical, physical and neurological signs of the patients. Complete hemogram, peripheral blood view, vitamin B12 level and folic acid level measurements were performed. Cerebral magnetic resonance scans and interictal EEG were performed on all patients.

Results: The participant patients were 5 males (66.7%) and 2 females (33.3%) consecutively. The types of seizures were generalized tonic clonic in 4, generalized tonic in one and partial in 2 of the cases. 2 of 3 patient had generalized epileptic activity and the other had focal activity on EEG examination. One of the participants presented with status epilepticus. The median vitamin B12 levels of the cases and their mothers were 59.14±22.04 (30-96) and 140.43±23.89 (119-170) pg/mL consecutively at laboratory findings.

Conclusions: Vitamin B12 deficiency may present with either megaloblastic anemia or severe neurological signs and seizures. In childhood seizures and epilepsy, vitamin B12 deficiency must be considered.