Seizure-Induced Petechial Rash on the Cheeks

Background: Petechiae can be caused by a variety of situations and conditions and they can play a role in both forensic science and in medical diagnosis. It can also occur when someone has a seizure. Objective: In this case report, we describe a patient who was admitted to the ED with syncope and petechial rash on the cheeks due to seizure. Case report: A 71-year-old female patient was admitted to the ED with syncope. Her son said that he found her unconscious and after the syncope petechiae appeared instantly on her cheeks. After one hour follow up in the ED, generalized tonic-clonic seizure had occurred. After initial stabilization, she transferred to neurology department with secondary epilepsy diagnosis. No additional seizures were observed during the follow-up period. After 24 hours of petechiae development, the size of petechial area was decreased by nearly 50% and the patient was discharged at the end of the 24 hours. On the third day control, petechial area had totally disappeared. Conclusion: Seizure related petechial rash is a rare finding and in the absence of other objective signs, it may be a clue for the diagnostic purposes. However, it should be kept in mind that a patient with a history of syncope particularly associated with petechiae on any part of the face may be suffering from seizures.

Author(s): Dikme O, Dikme O, Topacoglu H, and Ilhan A

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