Cerebral Abscess Presenting as a Complex Febrile Seizure.

Currently, there is no standardized approach to the management of complex febrile seizures in children and there are no published practice guidelines for the procurement of neuroimaging. Presented is a 2-year-old female patient who experienced a 3- to 5-minute episode of staring and unilateral mouth twitching associated with high fever. On initial presentation, the patient appeared well and had a normal neurological examination. No focus of infection was identified, and she was diagnosed with complex febrile seizure. The patient was discharged home with close neurology and primary care follow-up but returned the following day with altered mental status, toxic appearance, and right lower extremity weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed left-sided cranial empyema and the patient was managed with antibiotics and surgical drainage. A literature review to answer the question "Do children with complex febrile seizures require emergent neuroimaging?" yielded a small number of retrospective reviews describing the utility of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar puncture in the work-up of febrile seizures. Current evidence indicates that neuroimaging is not indicated in an otherwise healthy child who presents with complex febrile seizure if the patient is well appearing and has no evidence of focal neurological deficit on examination. As this case demonstrates, however, serious conditions such as meningitis and brain abscess (though rare) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of complex febrile seizure and physicians should remain aware that the need for neuroimaging and/or lumbar puncture may arise in the appropriate clinical setting.