MS Speaks

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2017 Dec 13;20:1-2.

Refractory epilepsy following natalizumab associated PML

Abkur TM1, Kearney H2, Hennessy MJ2.

Author information
1
Department of Neurology, Galway University Hospital, Galway, Ireland. Electronic address: tarig1982@hotmail.com.
2
Department of Neurology, Galway University Hospital, Galway, Ireland.

Natalizumab treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare opportunistic viral demyelinating disease caused by reactivation of John Cunningham virus (JCV). Herein we report a case of a 40-year-old woman who developed refractory temporal lobe epilepsy one year after recovery from Natalizumab-induced PML. Localisation related epilepsy, which may be refractory in nature, as in this case report, is a potential chronic disabling complication of PML. Epilepsy in this context likely reflects grey matter involvement, which may then act as cortical epileptogenic zone.