Epileptogenic properties of enflurane and their clinical interpretation.

Three cases of EEG changes induced by single exposure to enflurane anesthesia are reported. In one patient, enflurane administered during a donor nephrectomy resulted in unexpected partial motor seizures. Until the cause of the seizures was correctly identified, the patient was inappropriately treated with anticonvulsants. Two other patients suffered from partial, complex and generalized seizures uncontrolled by medication. Epileptic foci delineated and activated by enflurane were surgically ablated and the patients are now seizure-free. Previous exposures to enflurane have to be disclosed to avoid mistakes in clinical interpretation of the EEG. On the other hand, enflurane may prove to be a safe fast acting activator of epileptic foci during corticography or depth electrode intraoperative recordings.