Complex partial status epilepticus in late-onset MELAS.

A patient with recurrent episodes of complex partial status epilepticus and a distinctive pattern of periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) is presented. The patient was subsequently shown to have a mitochondrial disorder of the MELAS type, a hitherto unreported association. The case illustrates that CPSE should be added to the list of possible causes of acute neurological deterioration in MELAS patients.