Lamotrigine in idiopathic epilepsy - increased risk of cardiac death?

OBJECTIVES

Lamotrigine (LTG) has recently been shown to inhibit the cardiac rapid delayed rectifier potassium ion current (Ikr). Ikr-blocking drugs may increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmia and sudden unexpected death. With this background, it may be of importance that in our outpatient clinic between August 1, 1995 and August 1, 2005 we registered four consecutive cases of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in non-hospitalized patients that were all being treated with LTG in monotherapy. Here we describe and discuss these cases, the relevant literature, and the reasons to question whether these events were as a result of coincidence alone.

METHODS

All the cases were collected consecutively at the outpatient clinic, Department of Neurology, Stavanger University Hospital, Norway. Clinical and pathological data were obtained and the relevant literature reviewed.

RESULTS

All were females with idiopathic epilepsy.

CONCLUSIONS

A systematic study is needed to reveal whether LTG may increase the risk of SUDEP in certain groups of patients.